Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published in USA
Sep 2013
176 pages
Genre: Novels
Publication Information
Alma DeGeer Dunahew, the mother of three young boys, works as the maid for a prominent citizen and his family in West Table, Missouri. Her husband is mostly absent, and, in 1929, her scandalous, beloved younger sister is one of the 42 killed in an explosion at the local dance hall. Who is to blame? Mobsters from St. Louis? The embittered local gypsies? The preacher who railed against the loose morals of the waltzing couples? Or could it have been a colossal accident?
Alma thinks she knows the answer - and that its roots lie in a dangerous love affair. Her dogged pursuit of justice makes her an outcast and causes a long-standing rift with her own son. By telling her story to her grandson, she finally gains some solace - and peace - for her sister. He is advised to "Tell it. Go on and tell it" - tell the story of his family's struggles, suspicions, secrets, and triumphs.
Click to the right or left of the sample to turn the page.
(If no book jacket appears in a few seconds, then we don't have an excerpt of this book or your browser is unable to display it)
"Starred Review. From an economy of poetic prose springs forth an emotionally volcanic story of family, justice, and the everlasting power of the truth." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. A commanding fable about trespass and reconstruction
from a titan of Southern fiction." - Kirkus
"With this book, Woodrell confirms his place among the literary masters.." - Booklist
The information about The Maid's Version shown above was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's online-magazine that keeps our members abreast of notable and high-profile books publishing in the coming weeks. In most cases, the reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the reviews shown do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, please send us a message with the mainstream media reviews that you would like to see added.
Daniel Woodrell was born and now lives in the Missouri Ozarks. He left school and enlisted in the Marines the week he turned seventeen, received his bachelor's degree at age twenty-seven, graduated from the Iowa Writer's Workshop, and spent a year on a Michener Fellowship. His five most recent novels were selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year, and Tomato Red won the PEN West award for the novel in 1999. In 2010 his eighth novel, Winter's Bone, was adapted to film and nominated for four Academy Awards.
"Growing up in Missouri, seventy miles downriver from Hannibal, Mark Twain was handed to me early on, first or second grade, and captivated me for years, and forever, I reckon. Robert Louis Stevenson had his seasons with me just before my teens and I love him yet. There are...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Name Pronunciation
Daniel Woodrell: wouDRELL
Become a Member and discover books that entertain, engage & enlighten!
A stunning, provocative new novel from New York Times bestselling author Marisa Silver
About the book
Young Jane Young
by Gabrielle Zevin
From the author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry comes a novel that will have everyone talking.
Reader Reviews
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas
Epic, propulsive, incredibly ambitious, and dazzlingly written--a story about sacrifice and motherhood.
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends books that we believe to be best in class. Books that will whisk you to faraway places and times, that will expand your mind and challenge you -- the kinds of books you just can't wait to tell your friends about.
Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info & giveaways by email.
