This book focuses on Alma Dunahew, the mother of three boys who works as a maid for a prominent family in West Table, Missouri. In 1929, her beloved younger sister is one of the 42 people killed in an explosion at the local dance hall. Who is to blame? Alma thinks she knows, but her pursuit of justice makes her an outcast in the town and causes a rift with her own son. However, by telling her story to her grandson, she finally gains some peace.
This is an introspective book where it's easy to get pulled in to the story, feeling like you are a witness to what is happening. Woodrell's prose is simple, but evocative and emotional. While this is Alma's story, it's more about the community who is facing the unexplained loss of so many people, and the suspicions and doubts that linger long after the event.
Until I looked for more information about this book, I didn't realize that there was a community disaster in West Plains, Missouri in 1928. Woodrell changed some of the details, but there was an explosion at a dance hall which killed 39 people. Lawyer's review on Goodreads includes a link to news stories about the actual event.
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