The Maid’s Version by Daniel Woodrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Many of you may remember a movie called Winter’s Bone, if only for the fact that it was Jennifer Lawrence’s first big role. What you might not know is that first it was a book by a writer named Daniel Woodrell. His latest book, just out, is called The Maid’s Version. It is a story that centers on an explosion and fire at a dance hall that killed more than forty people and still resonates in the history of the town. The person responsible was never caught – but was perhaps known. A mystery, a series of character studies, an examination of a pivotal point in a history, the book is a wonder. I love Woodrell’s language and his ability to reveal character. His story takes place in deeply rural country and he gets the feel of it just right. I like all his work, but I was moved by this latest.