Give Us a Kiss (1996) Signed First Edition Reference

Give Us a Kiss is where Daniel Woodrell became Daniel Woodrell. Published in 1996, the novel moves from Louisiana to the Ozarks and introduces the voice, setting, and sensibility that would define his mature work. A writer named Doyle Redmond returns to his family’s Ozark territory, becomes entangled with a local woman, stumbles into a marijuana operation, and confronts the violence embedded in his bloodline. The novel’s subtitle — “A Country Noir” — coined the term that would become a genre designation.

The Book

The shift from the Bayou trilogy’s conventional crime fiction framework to the Ozarks’ rawer, more personal landscape liberated Woodrell’s prose. Give Us a Kiss crackles with energy and humor — the darkly comic tone that distinguishes Woodrell from the more somber practitioners of rural crime fiction. The meta-fictional element (a writer as protagonist) adds a layer of self-awareness without becoming precious.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, New York Publication date: 1996 Format: Hardcover in dust jacket

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first edition, fine/fine: $100–$250
• Unsigned first edition: $20–$50

As the novel that invented country noir and launched Woodrell’s greatest phase, Give Us a Kiss has a claim on collector attention that exceeds its current market pricing. It may be the most undervalued title in the Woodrell bibliography.