My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As the title suggests, this book tightens your throat with its raw poignancy of an innocent girl born into a family who cannot and does not care for her. Her innocence is so beautifully shown that it is truly believable and she has no vocabulary for the ways of the world that visit her far too early. Her dyslexia stifles her voice as do the men around her and her utter loneliness is painful to discover. Certainly a rite of passage and ultimately a story of strength, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is thoroughly moving and authentic.