In 'We Were the Mulvaneys', Joyce Carol Oates intricately recounts the unraveling of a once-idyllic family in rural America. The Mulvaneys, once celebrated and admired, face a tragic event that shatters their unity and reputation. As secrecy and shame seep into their lives, each family member grapples with their own demons and desires. The novel explores themes of love, betrayal, and the quest for redemption amidst societal judgment. Can the Mulvaneys reclaim their lost identity, or are they forever defined by their misfortunes?
By Joyce Carol Oates
Published: 2001
"We were the Mulvaneys, an ordinary family living in an extraordinary world, where love could turn into silence and silence could turn into sorrow."
An Oprah Book Club® selection A New York Times Notable Book The Mulvaneys are blessed by all that makes life sweet. But something happens on Valentine’s Day, 1976—an incident that is hushed up in the town and never spoken of in the Mulvaney home—that rends the fabric of their family life...with tragic consequences. Years later, the youngest son attempts to piece together the fragments of the Mulvaneys’ former glory, seeking to uncover and understand the secret violation that brought about the family’s tragic downfall. Profoundly cathartic, this extraordinary novel unfolds as if Oates, in plumbing the darkness of the human spirit, has come upon a source of light at its core. Moving away from the dark tone of her more recent masterpieces, Joyce Carol Oates turns the tale of a family struggling to cope with its fall from grace into a deeply moving and unforgettable account of the vigor of hope and the power of love to prevail over suffering. “It’s the novel closest to my heart....I’m deeply moved that Oprah Winfrey has selected this novel for Oprah’s Book Club, a family novel presented to Oprah’s vast American family.”—Joyce Carol Oates
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“We were the Mulvaneys, an ordinary family living in an extraordinary world, where love could turn into silence and silence could turn into sorrow.”
We Were the Mulvaneys
By Joyce Carol Oates
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Joyce Carol Oates is an acclaimed American author known for her prolific contributions to literature and her profound exploration of the human condition. Born on June 16, 1938, in Lockport, New York, Oates has published over 70 novels, as well as numerous short stories, essays, and plays. Among her notable works are 'Them,' which won the National Book Award, 'We Were the Mulvaneys,' 'Blonde,' and 'The Gravedigger's Daughter.' Oates' writing is characterized by its psychological depth, intricate character development, and exploration of themes such as identity, violence, and social class. A recipient of several prestigious awards, including the O. Henry Award and the Pen/Malamud Award, she is regarded as one of the most significant voices in contemporary American literature.
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SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILEY'S WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 'A delicious, important novel' The Times 'Alert, alive and gripping' Independent 'Some novels tell a great story and others make you change the way you look at the world. Americanah does both.' Guardian As teenagers in a Lagos secondary school, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is under military dictatorship, and people are fleeing the country if they can. Ifemelu--beautiful, self-assured--departs for America to study. She suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships and friendships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never thought of back home: race. Obinze--the quiet, thoughtful son of a professor--had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Thirteen years later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved success as a writer of an eye-opening blog about race in America. But when Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, and she and Obinze reignite their shared passion--for their homeland and for each other--they will face the toughest decisions of their lives. Fearless, gripping, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story of love and expectation set in today's globalized world.
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