The Fall of Alice K

In Heynen’s uneven first novel (after several short fiction collections, including The One-Room Schoolhouse), rising high school senior Alice Krayenbraak has her future mapped out: she’ll take a hiatus from sports, concentrating instead on academics, all with an eye toward college—some place sophisticated and far away from the hog manure and endless chores that characterize life on her family’s Iowa farm. But the year is 1999, and falling hog prices, combined with inclement weather and fears of Y2K, portend the downfall of the struggling farm. When the Hmong Vang family moves to town, Alice is attracted to bad boy Nickson. Dutch heritage and Calvinist doctrine dominate life in their community, and as Alice’s relationship with Nickson intensifies, she struggles with whether—in her pastor’s words—to be a restless Seeker or a satisfied Dweller. This simple dichotomy—between a desire for a different life and contentment with one’s lot—characterizes much of the novel. Although Heynen’s portrayal of young women and their relationships leaves much to be desired, his depictions of the Midwest’s evolving social and financial landscape ring true. `(Sept.)