dies with the second shot to the head later in the book. Hely cheats death after releasing Loyal's venomous snakes in Eugene's office while attempting to escape unnoticed. After Harriet's great aunt Libby dies, Harriet's fascination with death becomes more intense and sad, but the author seems to reference her grandmother Edith in Harriet's behavior. Extended family dynamics and support systems are another theme of the book. In the wake of Robin's death, a network that includes Harriet's grandmother Edith, Harriet's three great aunts - Libby, Tat, and Adelaide - and the housekeeper Ida coalesce to help raise Harriet and Allison while their mother retreats to her bedroom most days and her father moves to another state for his job and has an extended affair. Reception Both Ruth Franklin of The New Republic and A. O. Scott of The New York Times reviewed the book positively. Franklin highlighted Tartt's literary "obsess[ion] with crimes that go unpunished," while Scott described the book as "tragic, fever-dream realism." The novel won the WH Smith Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2003. Book Cover Design The jacket design is by Chip Kidd, a New York City book cover designer. References External links David Hare review in Guardian Unlimited (October 27, 2002) Oxonian Review: "Donna Tartt's Confused Little Friend" Video RTE TV panel discussion Audio NPR: Talk of the Nation: Donna Tartt interviewed by Lynn Neary (November 5, 2002) Donna Tartt reads The Little Friend at a Jackson, Mississippi bookstore (November 13, 2002) 2002 American novels Books with cover art by Chip Kidd American gothic novels Novels set in Mississippi Fiction set in the 1970s Alfred A. Knopf books