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    | | Winter's
Bones
by Daniel Woodrell
I knew I was reading a suspense when the specter of a horrible end
appeared quickly at the edge of my consciousness, and yet I read a
seamless thread in the book on why that was the only end possible.
Especially when the author raised the tension by making crystal
clear what that end would be even as the main character does
everything she can to avoid it.
This is "Winter's Bone," the latest novel by Daniel Woodrell. Set in
the Ozarks, this novel introduces Ree Dolly, a 16 year old marking
time until she can escape into the army. We learn she has a crazy
and immobile mother, two younger brothers, and a drug cook for a
father. It is with her father where the story starts. He has a court
date in a week and is nowhere to be found. Normally this would not
be a problem, except this time he used their house and land as
collateral for his bail bond. If he doesn't show up for the trial,
Ree and her family have no place to live and nowhere to go.
Despite all the warnings against doing so, Ree starts to look for
him. And the only place to look is with her extended family - a
family of drug runners, convicts, murderers, and just plain ornery
folk. A family she has always been told will help her in times of
need because of being blood of her blood, bone of her bone. With her
back against the wall facing eviction, she sees no other choice.
This decision will change the direction of her life and ultimately
box her into being exactly what and where she wants to escape.
I relate this book to Sister Souljah's "The Coldest Winter Ever"
because both books are well written with strong female lead
characters unable to see or step beyond the choices and culture
their parents taught. Ree KNOWS what awaits her if she stays in her
hometown. Her family and extended family have a long history with
being on the wrong side of the law. This is engrained and detailed
even into their very names.
"the name carried expectation and history. Some names could rise to
walk many paths in many directions, but Jessups, Arthurs, Haslams,
and Miltons were born to walk only the beaten Dolly path to the
shadowed place, ......Ree and Mom both had shouted and shouted and
shouted against Harold [her youngest brother] becoming a Milton,
since Sonny [her other brother] was already a Jessup. They had
shouted and won and Ree'd a thousand times wished she'd fought
longer for Sonny, shouted him into an Adam or Leotis or Eugene,
shouted until he was named to expect choices." pp. 62.
And yet, even with her own name reflecting those choices, Ree can
only react within the routes and choices she was raised to value and
honor. And those choices all herd her into one way. All the while I,
as a reader, see the possible paths Daniel Woodrell wrote as options
Ree, with her code of honor, is not able to take. I, as the reader,
was indeed shouting and shouting and shouting against her path to no
avail. Because as a reader, there is nothing you can do to stop it.
"Winter's Bone" is a suspenseful story that lingers long after the
book is finished and put away. On the technical side, there are
blurbs raving on how well the author writes on the back jacket
cover, and they are quite right. However, this book is not for
anyone looking for a cheery couple of hours with a happily ever
after. However, if you like the Ozark area, or fiction that opens up
your eyes to sub-culture of the American rural poor, I highly
recommend this book.
Review by Nina Larson
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