We Were the Mulvaneys
We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates, published by Penguin on January 24, 2001, is a literary fiction novel that explores the complexities of family life. The story centers on the Mulvaney family, who seem to have a perfect life until a tragic incident on Valentine’s Day in 1976 disrupts their harmony. This event, kept secret from both the town and the family, leads to profound consequences that unravel their once idyllic existence.
Readers will find a narrative that delves into the aftermath of this incident, as the youngest son embarks on a journey to understand the family’s decline and the hidden truths that shaped their lives. The novel examines themes of familial bonds, loss, and the resilience of hope amidst suffering. With its 464 pages, this edition invites readers to reflect on the enduring power of love and the human spirit in the face of adversity.
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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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