Ree Dolly is sixteen and has a big problem. And it doesn't involve prom dresses. Her father has skipped his court appearance and left the house where she lives with her mentally disabled mother and two little brothers as bond. It's cold, there's no money and hardly any food, and they are about to become homeless. In this desolate Ozark landscape, she is surrounded by relatives but it isn't clear that any of them can be trusted.
Woodrell depicts a culture which is so savage, violent and desperate as to be unbelievable, except that his writing is, well, believable. I was especially intrigued by the oddities of language used by the characters, which greatly enhance the claustrophobic effect of the story. Almost ethnographic, and almost perfect storytelling.
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