Winter’s Bone, by Daniel WoodrellRead about another entry on the list.
The Midwest brought us Laura Ingalls Wilder, but it also brought us Ree Dolly, who lives in the modern-day, impoverished Ozarks. And while I wouldn’t mess with either of these characters, Ree’s toughness instills a different level of fear in me. Her grit is tested when she finds out that her dad has skipped bail on charges he ran a crystal meth lab and her family might lose its home if he doesn’t show for his court date. To get to the bottom of things, Ree has to face the complicated and dangerous infrastructure that is her own family to bring her father home, dead or alive. How many sixteen-year-olds do you know can do that?
Also see: Thirteen great books out of the Midwest.
--Marshal Zeringue