Book description
The unforgettable story of the rise, fall and ultimate redemption of an
American family.
The Mulvaneys are seemingly blessed by everything that makes life
sweet. They live together in the picture-perfect High Point Farm, just
outside the community of Mt Ephraim, New York, where they are respected
and liked by everybody.
Yet something happens on Valentine's Day 1976. An incident involving
Marianne Mulvaney, the pretty sixteen-year-old daughter, is hushed up in
the town and never discussed within the family. The impact of this event
reverberates throughout the lives of the characters.
As told by Judd, years later, in an attempt to make sense of his own
past reveals the unspoken truths of that night that rends the fabric of
the family life with tragic consequences. In 'We Were the Mulvaneys',
Joyce Carol Oates, the highly acclaimed author of 'Blonde', masterfully
weaves an unforgettable story of the rise, fall and ultimate redemption
of an American family. 'I read this book over a year ago, but this
family still haunts me.' Oprah Winfrey
'“We Were the Mulvaneys” works not simply because of its meticulous
details and gestures…What keeps us coming back to Oates Country is
something stronger and spookier: her uncanny gift of making the page a
window, with something on the other side that we'd swear was life
itself.' David Gates, The New York Times Book Review
'It is a book that will break your heart, heal it, then break it again
every time you think about it.' Los Angeles Times
'A brilliantly detailed and varied picture of family life and a
succession of dramatic set pieces…These are people we recognise, and she
makes us care deeply about them.' Kirkus Joyce Carol Oates, a
recipient of the National Book Award, is one of the most highly
respected novelists, critic, playwright, poet and author of short
stories. 'We Were the Mulvaneys' was first published in 1996. She is the
Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of Humanities at Princeton
University. Her highly acclaimed previous novel, 'Blonde' (2000), was
short-listed for the National Book Award.
