Newfangled by Debra Monroe (review)

N e w f a n g l e d . By D e b r a M o n r o e . N e w Yo r k : Sim o n a n d Sc h u st e r , 1 9 9 8 . 2 9 9 p a g e s, $ 2 2 .0 0 . R e v ie w e d b y B r o o k e B i g e l o w U t a h S t a t e U n iv e r sit y , L o g a n T h e h e r o in e o f t h e n o v e l N e w f a n g le d b y D e b r a M o n r o e is M a id ie B o n a sso , a n d h e r la t e st p r o fe ssio n a l a d v a n c e m e n t is t o t h e p o sit io n o f c u r a t o r a t T u c so n ’s M u se u m o f D o m e st ic H ist o r y a n d H o m e E c o n o m y . D e t a ilin g a n d o r g a n iz in g d o m e st ic it y is M a id ie ’s p r o fe ssio n , b u t it is a lso h e r p e r so n a l life . M o n r o e d e t a ils w it h d a z z lin g c o m p le x it y t h e m in u t ia o f M a id ie ’s life w h ic h b e c o m e s a liv in g e x h ib it o f t h e a m b ig u ­ it y a n d w e a r in e ss o f d o m e st ic it y in t h e 1 9 9 0 s. T o M a id ie h e r r o o t s ar e “u n c o m fo r t a b ly o ld fa n g le d ,” b u t M o n r o e sh o w s M a i d ie ’s fr e n e t ic fo n d n e ss fo r n o v e lt y , in c lu d in g c o n st a n t u p h e a v a l in h e r m o st in t im a t e fr ie n d sh ip s ( 2 9 3 ) . Sh e h a s a d e fia n t ly n e w fa n g le d h ist o r y w it h t w o h u s­ b a n d s in h e r w a k e , d o z e n s o f c o n fid a n t s, a fr a c t u r e d c h ild h o o d o f a b a n ­ d o n m e n t , t w o h o m e t o w n sist e r s sh e h a s n ’t se e n fo r e le v e n y e a r s, a n d a w a n d e r in g fa t h e r a b o u t t o m ar r y fo r t h e t h ir d t im e . M o n r o e ’s t a le a t fir st lo...