The Dollmaker (novel)

The Dollmaker

Cover of the first edition, 1954
Author	Harriette Simpson Arnow
Country	United States
Language	English
Publisher	The Macmillan Company
Publication date	1954

The Dollmaker is novel by Harriette Arnow. It is the story of Gertie Nevels and her family's migration from their Kentucky homeland to industrial Detroit during World War II. First published in 1954, the novel earned a 1955 nomination for the National Book Award. Its New York Times book reviewer called it a superb novel notable for its strength and the glowing richness of character and scene. In 1971, Joyce Carol Oates characterized this novel as "our most unpretentious American masterpiece".

As the book begins Gertie Nevels, a Kentucky mountain woman, is struggling to take her sick child down the mountain to see a doctor. She is able to reach the road on the family mule, and then to stop a passing car and convince its reluctant occupants to drive her to the doctors office. Because her son is in imminent danger of death from suffocation, Gertie performs an emergency tracheotomy which probably saves the boys life. They go to the doctor's office. The boy recovers.

During the next part of the book we get a glimpse of Gertie's life in the mountains, where she is close to her husband Clovis, her five children, her parents and the community. She is very much at home and fulfilled in this environment, surrounded by nature and connected with the people she loves. She is extremely competent in this mountain life. She thoroughly knows the Bible. Among her many talents is a particular gift for whittling which she uses to make practical items like ax handles and creative work like dolls. She is gradually carving a sculpture out of a large block of cherry wood, although she does not know if the figure which will eventually emerge will be Christ or Judas.

Her dream is to buy the old Tipton place for the family, so they will have a better home and can farm for themselves rather than as sharecroppers. But the war is intruding on this peaceful life. Men from the community are fighting overseas, Gertie's brother has just been killed in the war, and Clovis's coal delivery business is suffering. Then Clovis is called into the military induction center. Not drafted, Clovis goes instead to Detroit to do war work in the factories.