Missing Mom is a profound novel penned by Oates in the wake of her mother's passing.

In it, Nikki Eaton, a sexually unrestrained "free spirit" in her early thirties, grapples with the sudden death of her mother, who was a cornerstone in her upstate New York town.

Both Nikki and Chataqua Falls represent the kinds of characters and settings that have characterized much of Oates' writing. Nikki is a somewhat aimless woman, often at the mercy of others' actions and priorities: her mother's care, her controlling sister's judgments, and her married lover's availability.

Her mother's death throws all of Nikki's personal relationships into turmoil as she contends with her debilitating shock and grief. As Nikki assesses those around her and herself, perhaps most significantly, she begins to question how well she truly knew her own mother.

It is this aspect of the story - the query of how well we can know anyone, be it a parent, a sibling, or a lover - that I found most captivating. It made me reflect on my own parents' deaths. I believed I knew my parents quite well, but I surely didn't know them in their twenties and thirties - what their dreams and desires were. In their retirement, I thought they were happy (for the most part), but a book like this makes one wonder what unspoken thoughts lurked within. A missed dream or a hidden joy.

Nikki Eaton is clearly a manifestation of Oates' own grief after her mother's death, yet the novel's strength lies in her ability to serve as a lens through which we examine our own ideas, feelings, and assumptions.

I would rate this novel four out of five stars.

This particular novel by Oates ended up being one of my absolute favorites. In fact, it's the one I've liked the best in quite some time.

Some of the other novels I've picked up recently, although masterfully crafted, seemed more like exercises. However, this one had all the elements that I love most about Oates' writing - urgency, humanity, and a clear reason for being.

At the beginning, when it came to the murder, I did feel that it was a bit too contrived. I thought that perhaps another death would have seemed less刻意 and more natural. But as I continued reading, I realized that it fit perfectly with what came after.

I couldn't really argue with it, and as I got more and more into the story, I was less inclined to want to. It did just get me a little stuck when I was first approaching that part of the timeline, but overall, it was an excellent read.

I absolutely adored the main character in this book.

The way the author crafted this character made him/her truly come alive on the pages.

The details, the emotions, and the actions all combined to create a character that I couldn't help but fall in love with.

And let's not forget about the dialogue between the middle-aged ladies in the story.

It was so incredibly realistic that it felt as if I was sitting right there with them, listening to their conversations.

Their words, their tones, and their mannerisms were all spot-on, and it added a whole new layer of authenticity to the story.

This was truly an amazing book, and it's no surprise considering the author's talent and skill.

The author has a way of drawing the reader in and making them feel as if they are a part of the story, and this book is a prime example of that.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good read.

I am now firmly in my twenties, and I find myself constantly confronted with a recurring fear that haunts me: the awareness that, inevitably, one day, I will lose my parents. At times, this fear is almost debilitating, causing a crippling anxiety to wash over me. Perhaps my parents' deaths are still half a century away, but who can really know? I suspect that this is a fear that many people share.

In "Missing Mom," Joyce Carol Oates masterfully explores the theme of grieving the loss of a parent with her characteristic skill. She ensures that the experience is truly unforgettable and unlike anything the reader has ever encountered before.

Some readers, when reviewing this novel, seem to complain about the main character, Nikki. A 31-year-old single woman, Nikki still doesn't quite have her life together. She makes mistakes, and at times, she can be rather unpleasant to read about. However, that's precisely what I appreciate about her. She feels real. Having dealt with the deaths of various loved ones in the past (though not a parent), I can attest that Oates has captured the grieving process with remarkable accuracy. This comes as no surprise, considering that this work was written in the year following the author's own mother's death. One can almost feel Oates's intense emotional energy leaping off the pages. This is a novel that is sure to tug at your heartstrings and bring tears to your eyes.

"Missing Mom" is shockingly gripping, real, expansive, and daring. It has everything I look for in literary fiction. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Many people believe that they come from a better family than their own or that they will never make the mistakes of their parents.

Genre. Novel.

What it tells us. In the book "Mama" (original publication: "Missing Mom", 2005), we get to know Nikki Eaton, a woman who has entered her thirties without realizing it, with a structured life that is not complete (and she doesn't even realize that) and a complex but conventional relationship with her family, especially with her mother, Gwen Eaton. The murder of her mother will change many things in her life, such as the vision she had of her mother as she discovers small things about her that she didn't know.

Do you want to know more about this book, without spoilers? Visit:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

This novel seems to offer a deep exploration of family dynamics and the impact of a significant event on a person's life. Nikki's journey of self-discovery and the changing perception of her mother are likely to be engaging and thought-provoking. It makes one wonder how well we really know our own family members and what secrets they might be hiding. The website provided offers more information for those who are interested in delving deeper into the story.

Overall, "Mama" by Joyce Carol Oates appears to be a compelling read that could offer valuable insights into the human experience.

Sometimes it can be truly beneficial to engage with realistic stories that feature flawed characters, for in such narratives, people are presented in all their complexity.

This particular story is precisely of that nature, penned by one of those remarkable authors.

It involves a mystery crime that delves into family secrets and the lives of neighbors.

As the story unfolds, a myriad of emotions will surface, encompassing regret, remorse, guilt, confusion, loss, and grief.

However, the author navigates these emotions with great sensitivity, as she is incredibly perceptive when it comes to people, their emotions, and their thoughts.

Her writing is clear and concise, and she is a masterful storyteller, capable of captivating readers and leading them through the twists and turns of the plot with ease.

Overall, this is a story that is sure to resonate with readers and leave them with a deeper understanding of the human condition.

I lost my mom in 2009. For many years, she and I were mostly at odds. However, when I was in my 40s, we began to reconcile. She stopped being overly critical of me, and I started to notice her good qualities. Near the end of her life, she required 24-hour care and wanted to stay at home. I respected her wish, left my job, husband, and home, and spent the last three months of her life by her side. It was an extremely difficult experience for me. (Thankfully, my wonderful husband was very supportive of my choice.)

So, I could really relate to "Missing Mom" on a deep level. In the story, two sisters have to cope with their widowed mother's gruesome death. They have never had a good relationship, but it is the rebellious, free-spirited daughter who goes to live at the family home, sorts through the relics of the past, and deals with her loss.

During this process, she discovers that her seemingly perfect mother had a secret and tragic past. The woman she knew as mom was almost like a fabricated personality, bearing little resemblance to the child and teenager she had been before marriage. By learning the truth about their parents' lives, the sisters change and find their true selves.

I found this book to be somewhat lighter than most of the novels I've read by JCO. Of course, for her, "lighter" still means quite dark compared to many other authors, but there is a tenderness in this book that she doesn't usually display. I couldn't help but wonder about her relationship with her own parents.

This book was easy to read, it made me laugh and cry, and I highly recommend it to female readers who have lost their mom, especially those who have had a difficult relationship with their moms.

3.5 stars.

I read this book as a book club selection for the month.

I generally liked this book, yet it was considerably longer than it really needed to be. In my opinion, 100 pages could have been removed, and it would still have told more or less the same story.

It had the somewhat meandering and slow-unspooling quality similar to Anne Tyler's books, but unfortunately, it lacked the outstanding character development that Tyler is known for.

Nevertheless, by and large, I still enjoyed it and am quite interested in giving another book from this author a try.

I'm curious to see if the author can improve on the pacing and character development in future works and create a more engaging and satisfying reading experience.

Overall, despite its flaws, this book has piqued my interest in the author's writing, and I look forward to seeing what else they have to offer.

This book brought back so many memories of We Were the Mulvaneys for me. I have to say that I really, really liked this book. One of the things that stood out for me was the character of Nikki.

Some reviews might suggest that she lacked depth or was too flawed, but I had a completely different perspective. I found a unique connection to her. In fact, I think she represents a certain aspect of selfishness that exists within all of us.

We often forget that our parents had their own lives before we came into the picture. They had hopes, dreams, and secrets that we knew nothing about. They were individuals with their own identities.

There is a selfish tendency in all of us to take simple things for granted, like conversations with loved ones and time spent with relatives. We don't realize how precious these moments are until they are gone and so many opportunities have been missed.

I believe the reason I was able to connect with Nikki so strongly is that she embodied that very selfishness.

I also think that Gwen Eaton, Nikki's recently deceased mother, is one of Joyce Carol Oates' most memorable characters. However, for me, Nikki will be equally memorable.

What I truly appreciate about Joyce Carol Oates is that she doesn't seem to be targeting a specific audience or fitting into a particular niche. One of the reasons she's one of my favorite authors is that there is something in all of her novels and stories that is so relatable. I can always identify with and understand the emotions of her characters.

I think that's the mark of a truly talented and remarkable writer.

Love, love, love this book!

I must admit that I picked it up for pure catharsis. Recently, I lost my mother unexpectedly and tragically.

I saw so much of myself, my experience, and my affliction in Nikki Eaton, and so much of my own mother in Gwen.

I've been completely stifled and unable to accept my mother's untimely death. However, reading this novel has helped me start to think about coping.

Oates' alliteration to phantom limbs, ghosts, and nervous expectations - all of these are things that she made fresh for me. Although they are easily redundant and overused by others, Oates gave them new life.

I was deeply moved by this book. As I said, it was a purely cathartic read, but there is no doubt that the literary voice employed here is what sets authors like her apart from the rest.

Oates has taken the somewhat ordinary and made it extraordinary.

My only complaint, though small, was her overuse of the term "vehement" and its subsequent forms. It got to be an annoyance, but she backed away from it long enough that I eventually got over it, and it failed to dull the importance of this most enlightening read.

A satisfying read indeed. The book presents a nice story arc that keeps the readers engaged from start to finish.

However, there are a few aspects that deserve some mention. For instance, the question of whether Nikki has any friends lingers. Their strange absence is a bit puzzling. Additionally, the long scenes with Alyce and Aunt Tabitha, although not bad, seem somewhat formulaic. But this is really just a small complaint in the grand scheme of things.

Oates appears to be a sort of patron saint for "wild" girls, independent women, and any female who doesn't conform to the standard operating procedures. She writes about them with great detail, tells us their stories, and helps us gain a better understanding of their perspectives. But does she see herself as one of them? I, for one, know almost nothing about her personally. It would be interesting to explore this further and perhaps gain some insights into the mind of the author.

Overall, despite the minor flaws, the book is a worthwhile read and offers a unique perspective on the lives of these independent women.

A really disjointed read that takes us into the horrifying details of a mother's death and how her two daughters cope. The older daughter, who seems more responsible on the surface, completely falls apart. On the other hand, the breezy and frankly rather annoying overgrown teen at thirty something manages to figure out how to be an adult. This kind of story has been told before, and often done better. This particular read was disconnected, with far too many sentences starting with "So!" or exclamations like "Oh the pain!" I suppose I was meant to be in the whimsical daughter's head, but it was really just irritating.

It's a pity because the subject matter of a mother's death and the subsequent struggles of the daughters could have been explored in a more engaging and profound way. Instead, the disjointed narrative and the overused literary devices detracted from what could have been a powerful and moving story. One can't help but feel that with a bit more polish and a different approach, this could have been a much better read.