Is it really possible to shed one's history "as easily as a coat slips off the back of a chair" and walk away? And if so--what might one walk into? That's the puzzle posed by the cunningly plotted Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews.
Florence Darrow thinks of her past in Florida "as a gangrenous limb that needed to be severed for the greater good." Now that she's landed an editorial assistant position in New York City, she can begin remaking herself. However, she can't quite make out the shape of the new version of herself she's trying to form. Then the opportunity of a lifetime comes along: she is hired as personal assistant to Maud Dixon, pseudonym for the electrifying and mysterious author of the biggest bestseller in recent history. Florence becomes one of just two people to know Maud's true identity. And she finally has a model to guide her own transformation into the bestselling author and confident self-made woman she knows she can be.
Florence sinks with pleasure into her new life: living in the carriage house behind Maud's lovely old stone house in the country, enjoying Maud's cooking and fine wines and opera. But who, really, is Maud Dixon? Florence knows her name, and the name of the Mississippi town she comes from. But much of her hero's persona remains enigmatic: Maud is unpredictable, thorny, wise and (to the Florida ingenue) perfectly captivating.
Who Is Maud Dixon? is a wickedly fun study in deception, secrets, striving and longing. Andrews's stylish, intricate debut novel showcases deft prose and expert use of tone and atmosphere. --Julia Kastner, librarian and blogger at pagesofjulia