Maud's House

Maud Calhoun, narrator of this appealing debut novel, was the wunderkind of Round Corners, Vt. From childhood, her remarkable artwork began gradually to cover her homestead, so that ``it was a canvas, a roadside attraction.'' On the day Maud buries her supportive father, she meets George, her future husband and a control freak who, over the years, saps her talent, paints over her house and is then killed in an automobile accident. Through Maud's eyes, readers meet various townsfolk, each undergoing some sort of artistic crisis. Her best friend Wynn, renowned for her knitting, loses her lucky needles; dairy farmer Jacques Leon ``T-Bone'' Thibeault can no longer tap-dance for his herd. All comes right in the end, as conflicts and creative blocks are resolved. Initially, Roberts's premise and characters charm, but the prose soon suffers from awkward imagery; while Maud's homespun wisdom grows forced and precious. Despite the lack of a strong regional voice, the novel's quirky details (amusing chapter headings include ``Cows Juggling Pine Cones'') and unusual situations bode well for more mature work from this new talent. $20,000 ad/promo; author tour. (May)