Author: Joyce Carol Oates

This book has been on my shelf for a long time. I don’t think I’ve read anything by this author up to now, but I know I have another of her books on my “to read” list.

It took a bit of time to get into the story, but once I was familiar with the characters I quite enjoyed it. A small well-to-do neighbourhood struggles with the sudden death of one “of them”. The deceased, Adam, has had a profound influence on everyone, whether it was love or hate for the man depends a lot on the mood and circumstances of the individual.

The most surprising thing for me was the age of the characters – anywhere from their late forties to early fifties. Shouldn’t middle-age be a lot older?