Maids Version A Novel

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THE MAID’S VERSION is only partly a maid’s version of events that led to a horrible fire that killed many innocents at a dance. The narrator is the maid’s grandson. He, apparently, gathered more evidence, probably from his father. This short book contains not only the evidence; it also tells stories of some of those who died in the fire. Daniel Woodrell’s writing is difficult to read. He uses long sentences that often need commas to aid the reader’s understanding. I had to read many sentences twice. Readability was also impaired by a fragmented timeline. That is, the events, stories, and evidence skipped around throughout the book from 1956 to 1929 to 1933 to 1944 to 1929, etc. And not only was it back and forth, but it was also difficult to know when the book was referring to the narrator’s father (the maid’s youngest son). Not long after I finally got used to Woodrell’s writing style, the book ended. It’s short. But it is not a fast read. THE MAID’S VERSION is full of guesses. There is too much the narrator couldn’t have known or been told 30 or 40 years later. He even says as much, that the end isn’t certain. But I’d bet on it.