The murder of Harriet Cleve Dufresnes’s older brother Robin, who was found hanging from a tree in the backyard, still remains a mystery twelve years later. The conflicting reality of the tragedy impacts Harriet one summer as she finds herself engrossed with the works of adventure writers like Kipling and Stevenson. Driven by unanswered questions that left her and her family shattered years ago – even today, as their mother remains enveloped in grief through hoarding and medication, which has caused immense neglect on her behalf – Harriet becomes determined to uncover the truth. Believing that members of the Ratliff family, a highly dysfunctional family also from Alexandria, Mississippi may be responsible, Harriet sets out with Hely, a neighborhood friend. The mystery must be solved. Continue reading “Donna Tartt, The Little Friend” →