In Marilee Dahlman’s humorous novel, Mall Goddess, a woman’s desire to pursue her art runs adrift when the rundown mall that houses her makeshift studio faces closure.
Kylie Kaiser is not your typical mall-goer. For 20 years, she has served as custodian of the dilapidated mall in her economically depressed Iowa hometown. She patrols the corridors armed with hornet spray as her weapon of choice against possible danger and uses the abandoned K-Mart as her clandestine studio to make ceramic pigs that she sells online.
When Justin, her high school boyfriend and wannabe pop star, returns to town after an extended absence, along with his estranged wife who plans to convert the mall to an indoor vertical farm, Kylie’s job and studio appear threatened. Kylie hatches a scheme to save the mall by holding an arts extravaganza that will attract foot traffic and prove to the owner and local authorities that the mall is sustainable. Meanwhile, she wrestles with her unrequited feelings for Justin and the amorous attention of a straight-laced police officer.
Themes of integrity and resilience underlie this engaging, fast-paced story that conveys a glimpse of what it’s like to live in a struggling town with few employment opportunities.
Dahlman creates an unforgettable character in Kylie. Her punk appearance may seem outlandish and her outsized affection for all things porcine quirky, but her sentiments are grounded. She understands herself, in terms of both her need to create and her misgiven affection for Justin, who she recognizes may use her as just “another instrument…a simple chord to play.”
Her passion for both art and the wellbeing of the community contribute to her intriguing personality that compensates for the borderline caricaturistic portrayal of other characters, such as her flamboyant mother, a former backup country singer.
Overall, readers will find this an amusing, uplifting tale combining conflict and romance that showcases the capacity of an individual to confront powerful interests.
BlueInk Heads-Up: This title is well-suited for book clubs, given its potential appeal to a wide range of fiction readers and included discussion questions.
Also available as an ebook.