A great read indeed!

It is truly gripping and insightful, delving deep into the life of a young woman during her first year of grieving after the tragic loss of her mother.

The topic is not only extremely relatable but also explores the complex web of family and other relationships that one has to navigate during times of crisis.

This novel holds a very personal touch as it was penned shortly after Oates' own mother passed away.

It offers a profound and moving exploration of grief, family dynamics, and the human spirit.

Highly recommended for those who appreciate a well-written and emotionally engaging story that can touch the heart and offer a sense of comfort and understanding in the face of loss.

It is a book that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

This novel commences on Mother's Day, 2004, in Mount Ephraim, New York.

Gwen Eaton, a 56-year-old widow, firmly declined her daughters Nikki and Clare's offer to take her out for a meal. She was insistent on cooking herself, as she was a skillful cook and a loyal volunteer.

Opening the story on Mother's Day was indeed the perfect beginning. It provided a quick and fascinating insight into the basic makeup of the characters - their personalities, moral compasses, baggage, resentments, and judgments.

Nikki, the youngest sister and the narrator of the book, is 31 years old, single, and involved with a married man. She has earned the reputation of the "black sheep" in her family. She shows up with maroon-colored hair and dresses flamboyantly.

Claire, the older sister, is married with children and has been the more responsible daughter, in regular contact with her mother.

However, it is Nikki who discovers her mother dead two days after Mother's Day. Gwen was brutally murdered, and that visual and emotional shock devastated Nikki, as it would anyone.

This is a long story, with a few lagging spots in the middle of the novel, but not overly so. It involves the dealings with the mystery crime, family secrets, and neighbors. The sisters' connection after their mother's death is complex, filled with trials and tribulations, and very real.

Nikki is not necessarily the most likable character, but one can't help but feel for her as she grapples with her mother's death. She is the sister who carries the most regret, remorse, guilt, and confusion. Both sisters feel the loss and grief.

Joyce Carol Oats is incredibly observant of people, emotions, and thoughts. Her writing is lucid, and she is a master storyteller. She brilliantly captures a mood.

My mother passed away in 2005. I still remember the shocking phone call as if it were yesterday, along with the details that followed in the weeks after. My older sister and I worked beautifully together. Our love is strong, and we were a great comfort team, splitting all the after-death doings right down the middle. We never argued. We didn't and don't have baggage and regrets with each other, and I am very grateful. Mostly, we were complete in our relationship with our mother, having healed in the years prior. I was totally complete and loved my mother fully. My sister had some significant struggles to heal, but she did years of work and did great.

For me, I got to see how much more painful it is to lose a parent if there is a lot of incomplete history. It's a sad period indeed! But having regret is a different kind of soreness.

You can't force or rush healing, even in storytelling. Oats takes her time unfolding this story, and by the end, I understood why.

I'm definitely glad I read this (a $1.99 Kindle deal), still taking in the messages. The sadness of this tale is raw and honest. We feel the bruises, but it's also a bright eye-opener and moving to see some healing.

I hope my friends here on Goodreads had a lovely Mother's Day. And special blessings to those who have lost their mothers.

Review of Missing Mom - Joyce Carol Oates

This book, "Missing Mom" by Joyce Carol Oates, is presented from the perspective of a mid-thirties young woman named Nichole Eaton, affectionately known as Nikki by her family and friends. Nikki is a rather self-centered individual, with a radical appearance and actions. For example, she engages in an affair with a married man, much to the dismay of her family. Despite their disapproval, Nikki persists in her eccentric lifestyle as a feature journalist for the Beacon newspaper, making her the black sheep of the conservative family.

The story unfolds with Nikki's life chugging along. Her father passed away a few years before the events of the book, and we only learn about him through the accounts of others. Shortly after a Mother's Day lunch prepared by Nikki's mother, Gwen, a beloved and respected widow who has endured much, tragedy strikes, and Gwen is suddenly taken from their lives.

The book then chronicles the year following this loss and explores its impact not only on Nikki but also on her family and friends. Through this experience, Nikki discovers that the life she perceived is not the same as the actual reality.

I truly enjoyed this book and awarded it 5 stars. It is highly recommended, even for those who didn't like "We Were The Mulvaney's," which I also liked despite disliking most of the characters.

The exploration of grief, family dynamics, and self-discovery in "Missing Mom" makes it a captivating and thought-provoking read.

When you can't wait to finish a novel, especially a bulky one, and get rid of it. When almost every twist in the plot is predictable, the framework as obvious as that of an anorexic adolescent. When the style is dull, annoying, itchy even in the punctuation (I'll just cite the unqualifiable lists of adjectives by Oates using a slash or bar or whatever you want to call the symbol /). When even the protagonist irritates you deeply for her self-complacency and her speaking about herself in the third person.

When you end up rereading the back cover to check that - yes, indeed it is written that "Joyce Carol Oates is one of the greatest contemporary American female writers" - and yet you still can't understand it.

In short: how do you appreciate a book if you don't like the way it is written? It would be like loving someone without respecting them.

At this point, the little devil sitting on my right shoulder whispers to me that if the second thing is quite possible, indeed it happens more often than the opposite possibility, perhaps the first one is also possible; and I deduce that all my reasoning so far is based on fragile bases and could prove completely useless.

My left hemisphere, however, hears the whisper of the little devil and gets angry: if it is written badly, it is written badly, period.

And yet, and yet, and yet... I read it all. I finished it, and not just out of a trivial desire to know "how it ends", which was so well intuited.

The fact is that - I don't know - maybe this woman has written fantastic things and I haven't read them yet, something that I will try to do not out of non-existent feelings of guilt but out of instinct.

And that, I must admit, she managed to give the right breath to the way the novel is structured, an involuntary spiral of revelations around the small, insignificant, painful unsaid of one's parents (their humanity, in the end), revealed by chance or by distant relatives or by strangers when it is too late.

The fact, even more so, is that despite the sloppy and inconclusive beginning, despite the protagonist so unbearable that you almost side with the scurvy sister and the acidic aunt and the invasive neighbors, the novel is there. The warm, painful core of loss is there, and you feel it, and it digs into your heart with passages like:

"At that point, the fourth day after her death, we were starting to get used to the idea that mom was 'dead' and would be 'buried'. Or at least that's what we thought. That's what we wanted to believe. What a strange, cautious way people have of talking about the dead! How we walked on eggshells. 'Gwen's remains.' 'Gwen's funeral.' As if the dead were still there, more or less as before, only now there was this new ethereal entity, Gwen's spirit, able to have a body - in the form of remains - and a funeral. Before, mom was exactly where you saw her when you saw her, now instead what you saw were her remains. And where was Gwen? The worst was a moron who called from the pathology department of Mt Ephraim Hospital with the following, cryptic message: 'We are about to release your mother's body.' 'I replied politely: 'Thank you, I'll tell her.' "

Then the details, the details indeed, apparently insignificant details that are instead so many "hit-and-sunk", or correlative objectives as a critic would say, from:

"While eating, mom had the habit of sneaking into the kitchen to secretly wash two dishes and slip them into the dishwasher. Then she would come back and sit down with an innocent smile. 'Getting on with the work' for mom was like doing a workout for others."

to this description of a dry person through that, devastating, of her kitchen:

"...the Spancic's kitchen was twice as big as ours, but structured in a much less efficient way. Everything seemed far away or there was little space. Next to the kitchen there was even an 'office' with a screen door. Instead of a breakfast table in a cozy corner, near the window, there was a wooden table in the center of the room, surrounded by six chairs all occupied except one by folded shopping bags, old newspapers and leaflets and stuff to throw away. Instead of being recessed, the six-burner gas stove was standalone. From the ceiling hung a 40-watt light bulb that cast a dim light on our work, like a star that is going out in a distant galaxy."

Heartbreaking, isn't it?

I've always been a great admirer of Joyce Carol Oates. The title and the cover of this book of hers immediately caught my attention, leading me to choose it for my reading. What I initially expected and hoped for was a captivating story about a mom, perhaps a mom of twin toddlers, who embarks on a fabulous adventure, is deeply missed by everyone, and finally returns home triumphant.

However, this story is about a 31-year-old single woman named Nikki Eaton. She is so engrossed in living her own life that she hardly pays any attention to her mother's. Then, suddenly, her mother passes away, and Nikki is overcome with debilitating guilt that lasts for a year. This was quite a shock to me.

Oates does an outstanding job in塑造 the character of the mother, Gwen Eaton. I found myself actually grieving for her. I also thoroughly enjoyed the bitchy and bossy older sister Clare. Her marriage, children, and luxurious home made Nikki feel insignificant in comparison. The sisters' complicated relationship and their constant sparring were so realistic and lifelike.

My only real issue with the book was the main character, Nikki. I just couldn't understand how she was perceived. Oates seemed to be emphasizing Nikki's sexiness, but the way she described her fashion sense made me cringe. (Braless in t-shirts, platform translucent glitter shoes, skin-tight white mini skirt!) I have to be honest and admit that I kept picturing her wearing big round purple Joyce Carol Oates spectacles. Yikes!

‘It was the fate of mothers, to remember. What nobody else would know or care about. That, when they are gone, goes with them.’ (p. 397)

If you follow me, you’ve likely heard me mention Joyce Carol Oates several times. She is truly one of my favorite authors. I’m not only astounded by her writing abilities, her masterful use of language, punctuation, and italics for emphasis, but also her remarkable productivity and consistent high writing standard. I’ve never come across a bad book by her. While some of her works might not be as outstanding as her very best (like We were the Mulvaneys and Blonde), they still far surpass many books by other authors.

That being said, this particular book, Mother, Missing, is not among her finest. It tells the story of Nikki Eaton and her sister, who tragically lose their mother and cope with this loss in very different ways. Nikki and Claire, both in their 30s, are living their own lives. Claire resides with her husband and children in the same city where they grew up, while Nikki has moved away and leads an independent (and perhaps a bit selfish) life as a reporter. She is the so-called ‘black sheep’, dating an older man, coloring her hair purple, and wearing tight, skimpy clothes.

After a Mother’s Day dinner at their mother’s home, a few days pass, and the sisters are unable to contact their mother. Finally, Nikki drives back home to check on her and discovers her killed in the garage. What follows is a combination of the sisters dealing with the aftermath of their mother’s sudden and unexpected death, along with flashbacks to earlier times. The few pages where Nikki walks through the house in search of her mother are exquisitely written. The suspense builds and builds, keeping you on the edge of your seat, reading as fast as you can, even though you know Nikki will find her mother dead. It’s truly impressive how an author can grip you like this, despite the known outcome.

Unfortunately, the remainder of the book doesn’t quite measure up. It’s still a great read, and I like the flawed character of Nikki as the main narrator. She makes bad choices, sometimes even aware of it herself. She’s struggling, hurting, yet still trying. I appreciate how the novel explores how the death of a parent makes you question your life, priorities, values, just about everything. It also shows how parents often don’t seem like real people to their children. Sometimes, it’s only after they’re gone that you realize they were so much more than just your parent and had led a whole life before you became a part of their history and created a new, shared one.

It’s also very much a book about sibling relations. One moment you wonder if you have anything in common with your sibling(s) and if you’ll ever speak again when your parents are gone, and the next moment you’re sharing a private joke and remembering all the history you have together. And when your parents die, your sibling(s) are the only ones who share your history. Both sisters in this book make changes after their mother’s sudden death, some temporary, some permanent.

Joyce Carol Oates captures these family relations with great precision. If you have parents and/or siblings, you’ll have experienced some of the situations and emotions depicted in this novel. However, despite Oates’ wonderful insights into these important relationships and her excellent writing, this is not one of her best novels. It’s still a good book and worth reading. But if you’re only going to read a few of Oates’ novels, this doesn’t necessarily have to be one of them.

I don’t want to end this review on a negative note because I really enjoyed reading it. But I’m holding it up against Oates’ own extremely high standard, which is why it only receives three stars. I’ll let Oates end this review with her own words from the book: ‘Last time you see someone and you don’t know it will be the last time. And all that you know now, if only you’d known then. But you didn’t know, and now it’s too late. And you tell yourself How could I have known, I could not have known. You tell yourself.’ (p. 3)

How many more scenarios does Joyce have in her prodigious brain?

It's truly a mystery. This is a very strange and yet compelling mother-daughter tale.

The relationship between them is complex and full of unexpected twists.

Joyce, with her vast imagination, seems to constantly create new worlds and stories in her mind.

Her daughter, on the other hand, is trying to make sense of it all.

As the story unfolds, we are drawn into their lives and the unique bond they share.

Despite the oddities, there is a deep love and connection that holds them together.

This tale is not only about the mother and daughter but also about the power of imagination and the importance of family.

It makes us wonder what other secrets and surprises Joyce has in store for us.

And it leaves us eager to follow their journey and see where it takes them.

Another great read by JCO

JCO is a highly regarded author known for her captivating and thought-provoking works. Her latest offering is no exception. The story she weaves takes the reader on a journey through a world filled with complex characters and intricate plotlines.

The writing style is engaging, drawing the reader in from the very first page. JCO has a talent for creating vivid descriptions that bring the settings and scenes to life. The characters are well-developed, with their own unique personalities and motives.

As the story progresses, the reader is kept on the edge of their seat, eager to find out what will happen next. There are twists and turns galore, keeping the plot fresh and exciting. Overall, this is another great read by JCO that is sure to please fans of her work and attract new readers as well.

Definitely five stars.

How do we assume the state of orphanhood? Do we become different people when we no longer have our parents? What mechanisms do we set in motion to endure the loss? How well do we know the life of our parents before they were our parents?

I must confess that I stopped reading this book for two years. I bought it right after the death of my mother. I was afraid that the reading would be too painful. I think I did the right thing, and today I have greatly enjoyed this reading.

In this work, Joyce Carol Oates presents to us in the voice of Nicole Eaton - Nikky - a 31-year-old independent woman, and in some way the rebel of the family, the events that lead to the death of her mother, as well as the events subsequent to it.

Setting her own pace, the author takes us by the hand to get to know the life of Nicole, her sister Clara, and her mother Gwen Eaton. Little by little, events unfold and the intimate secrets of the family are revealed to us. We see the evolution towards maturity of the main character.

For me, it doesn't have too many or too few pages.

Opinions regarding the works of J C Oates are polar. You either love it or you can't stand it. Without a doubt, I am among the first group.

As a person who suddenly lost her mother at an early age, I could deeply relate to some of the profound emotions and experiences that Joyce Carol Oats so skillfully wrote about in this book.

Losing a loved one is a life-altering event that one must eventually learn to live with, yet the initial stages of grieving are often overwhelming and all-consuming.

This particular book is rather long, and perhaps it could have benefited from a bit of tightening up to make the narrative more concise and focused.

Moreover, I found it challenging to fully relate to many of the characters. For instance, I felt that the sister in the story was much harsher than necessary, which made it difficult for me to empathize with her actions and motives.

Nevertheless, despite its flaws, this book still makes for a not bad read during the summer months, offering a glimpse into the complex world of human emotions and relationships.

I recently embarked on a journey to explore the works of Joyce Carol Oates. This was prompted by a class I took during my last semester in college. For the most part, I was completely captivated by the remarkable realism she imparts to her characters.

After reading that very first short story, I had a profound thought - this is the author whose entire body of work I渴望 to devour. I was overjoyed to discover that not only does she pen amazing short stories, but she also writes novels. Her extensive content means I'll be occupied with reading for months on end.

This is the first novel of hers that I've delved into, and I haven't been disappointed in the slightest. I've come across other reviews here where some didn't like the main character. I'm aware that in the book description, it's stated that Nikki is a selfish person. However, I didn't perceive her as such at all. I'm in my late 20s now and have been living independently since I turned 18. I related to Nikki so strongly that it was almost eerie. I, too, have had moments of being selfish and taking my parents for granted. They're both still alive, and I'm truly grateful to them. Now, in my late 20s, I've made a greater effort to include them in my life and in the life of my child. It's definitely been a labor of love.

If there's one thing this book has taught me, it's that I'm on the right track in rekindling my relationship with my parents. Because you truly never know when someone you take for granted and assume will always be there won't be. This realization made me incredibly sad and filled me with a deeply sentimental feeling. After writing this review, I fully intend to call my mom. This book truly deserves more than five stars. The characters in the story seem so incredibly realistic that I almost get the sense that the author may have known them or based them on people she personally knew. That's how detailed this book is, even without刻意 trying to be. It's just flawless writing, truly. I'm looking forward to continuing this literary adventure and reading more of her works!

There are lines that open a hatch where the eyes roll, stopping somewhere, finding a correspondence with that of my mother who, more than three years have passed, I miss.

Especially one line that literally laid me down, shortly after the beginning.

A book to be handled with care that had been sitting there for months, waiting for me to be ready. I was ready, I confirm, even if I didn't trust myself and even if at times I read in a hurry for fear of putting too much of my mother's into it. To whom would this book have pleased? Who knows, but I think so. Four stars and moments with clear eyes.

This book seems to hold a special charm that reaches deep within me. It's as if each page is a portal to a world that my mother might have loved. The words dance on the paper, creating vivid images and emotions that I can't quite put into words.

As I turn the pages, I feel a sense of connection to my mother, as if she is right there beside me, sharing in this literary journey. It's a bittersweet feeling, filled with both longing and a strange kind of comfort.

I find myself getting lost in the story, forgetting about the outside world for a while. The author's words have a power that draws me in and won't let go. I can't help but wonder what my mother would have thought of this book, what parts she would have emphasized, and what emotions it would have evoked in her.

Even though she's no longer here, this book makes me feel closer to her than ever before. It's a precious gift that I will cherish always.