First published 2000
Martha Horgan stares too long and speaks too honestly. She lives with Frances, her wealthy aunt who serves as her reluctant guardian. Martha desperately wants love and independence, but her compulsive truthfulness makes her an easy target. She develops intense feelings for people who ultimately hurt her. Birdy offers friendship before turning cruel and rejecting Martha completely. Colin Mackey arrives as a charming man who recognizes Martha's vulnerability and exploits her longing for connection. As Martha faces betrayal from those around her, she grows confused and bitter. She begins to distrust even people who genuinely want to help her. The mounting disappointments and rejections push Martha toward a breaking point where she makes a desperate bid to take control of her circumstances. Morris creates a character study of a woman whose greatest strength becomes her fatal weakness, showing how Martha's inability to deceive others leaves her defenseless in a world that punishes such raw honesty.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: social-outsider, unreliable-narrator
Audio Cassette · Books on Tape, Inc.
Content warnings: emotional-abuse, mental-illness