A Fair Maiden
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Sixteen-year-old Katya Spivak is out for a walk on the gracious streets of Bayhead Harbor with her two summer babysitting charges when sheâs approached by silver-haired, elegant Marcus Kidder. At first his interest in her seems harmless, even pleasant; like his name, a sort of gentle joke. His beautiful home, the childrenâs books heâs written, his classical music, the marvelous art in his study, his lavish presents to her â Mr. Kidderâs life couldnât be more different from Katyaâs drab working-class existence back home in South Jersey, or more enticing. But by degrees, almost imperceptibly, something changes, and posing for Mr. Kidderâs new painting isnât the lighthearted endeavor it once was. What does he really want from her? And how far will he go to get it?
In the tradition of Oatesâs classic story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" A Fair Maiden is an unsettling, ambiguous tale of desire and control.
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JOYCE CAROL OATES is the recipient of the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction and the winner of the National Book Award. Among her major works are We Were the Mulvaneys, Blonde, and The Falls.
