Books

The Maid's Version

A Novel
By Daniel Woodrell (Hardcover Book, 2013)
The American master's first novel since Winter's Bone (2006) tells of a deadly dance hall fire and its impact over several generations.

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.
Full Description
Buy This Book
  • Little, Brown and Company

    • Format: Hardcover Book

    • Price: $25.00 US/$28.00 CAN

    • ISBN-13: 9780316205856

    • On Sale Date: 09/03/2013

    • Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

    Full Details

    Formats Available: Hardcover Book, Electronic Book, Audiobook, Audiobook

  • Newsletter

    Don't miss updates about our authors, including book tour info and new book releases.

    Sign Up

The American master's first novel since Winter's Bone (2006) tells of a deadly dance hall fire and its impact over several generations.

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.

Five of Daniel Woodrell's eight published novels were selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year. Tomato Red won the PEN West Award for the Novel in 1999. Woodrell lives in the Ozarks near the Arkansas line with his wife, Katie Estill.

  • Praise for Winter's Bone

    "If William Faulkner lived in the Ozark Mountains today and wrote short, powerful novels set in that little understood, much-maligned swath of rural America, he might sound a lot like Daniel Woodrell." (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

  • Praise for Winter's Bone:


    "If William Faulkner lived in the Ozark Mountains today and wrote short, powerful novels set in that little understood, much-maligned swath of rural America, he might sound a lot like Daniel Woodrell."
    (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

  • "In prose both taut and lyrical, Winter's Bone vividly evokes the spirit of one little woman warrior."

  • "His best yet, an instant classic....Daniel Woodrell is a stunningly original writer." (Associated Press).

  • "Woodrell is the least-known major writer in the country right now."

  • Praise for The Outlaw Album:

    "Daniel Woodrell has published his first story collection, The Outlaw Album, and for readers of both crime and literary fiction, there is much to celebrate....Most of the stories deal with the darkest recesses of the human heart, and once you begin reading them, you can't stop." (New York Times Book Review).

Formats

Product Details

The Maid's Version
  • Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
  • Price: $25.00 US/$28.00 CAN
  • Pages: 176
  • Physical Dimensions: 5-1/2" x 8-1/4"
  • ISBN-13: 9780316205856
  • On Sale Date: 09/03/2013
Also By This Author
The Maid's Version
© 2013 Hachette Book Group