If I tell you, though, that the novel reads like Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley by way of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl and AJ Finn’sThe Woman in the Window, you’ll have a sense of the sort of book to expect: you can’t trust anything, or anyone. And you should be warned: don’t make any plans. Once you start reading Who Is Maud Dixon?, you’ll probably find it nearly impossible to stop. And why should you? It’s summer, after all. Enjoy. Book Review by Robert Wiersema Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews Sometimes, you have to roll with the changes. I had done a lot of preparation for this column. I chose the book well before Christmas, when it was first announced, requesting an advance copy so that I would have plenty of time to internalize the weighty, non-fiction tome. I read. I annotated. I did external research. I was ready to start writing. And then I readWho Is Maud Dixon? You know what they say about the bestlaid plans… Don’t worry, though − I’ll return to the non-fiction title for my next column. Right now, though, I have got to tell you about Who Is Maud Dixon? It’s not only a fantastic read, it’s a perfect book for summer: chilling and thrilling and steeped in hot climes and coldblooded actions. Can you tell how much I adored it? Who Is Maud Dixon? is the debut novel from Brooklyn-based journalist and editor Alexandra Andrews. Set in the publishing world, the novel follows Florence Darrow who, in her early twenties, has come to New York to pursue her dreams of being a writer. Instead, she finds herself in a thankless, joyless junior position at a publishing house, looking on while members of her peer group sign book deals and start making headlines in their own right. After losing her job owing to some (self-inflicted) interpersonal issues, Darrow is hired by the mysterious, reclusive Maud Dixon, whose debut novel has been dominating the bestseller lists and the cultural conversation. Dixon has never given an interview, has no web presence, is little more than a shadow (hence the novel’s title); in actuality, she is named HelenWilcox, and Florence moves to a small town in upstate New York to act as her assistant. Wilcox is prickly and opinionated, but stylish and refined with a taste for cooking, opera and wine; she’s exactly the sort of writer − and woman − Florence wants to be. Florence takes on handling Wilcox’s correspondence and minor tasks, and is charged with typing out the handwritten manuscript for Dixon’s second novel. She is delighted when Wilcox suggests that they decamp to Morocco, whereWilcox will domore research for her second book. Wilcox pays for both of their tickets: Florence, naturally enough, is seated in coach. And that’s all I’m going to tell you about what happens in the novel; much of the delight of Who Is Maud Dixon? comes from the sharp twists and turns of the story, the sheer pleasure of having little or no idea of what could possibly happen next. Rooted in powerful, realistic depictions of two women, set in the sun-drenched, torpor-inducing heat of North Africa, this is a perfect book for the summer, and I wouldn’t want to do a single thing to interfere with the pleasure of reading it. CSANews | SUMMER 2021 | 57
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx