Good book, but also very sad.

First Joyce Carol Oates book I've read, and I liked it, but wasn't crazy about it. Well written, and wonderfully developed characters, but a little slow for me.

I loved this book. If you have lost someone that is very close to you, this book will ring especially true. This is my favorite Oates book that I have read so far.

If you have a Mom, this book is for you. If you love her, hate her, miss her or still have her, read Missing Mom. You'll get a new appreciation for the steadfastness of motherhood, the beauty of all those simple things are mothers do for us. I don't think I'll ever forget this wonderful book.

Monica

A hauntingly beautiful book that explores the never-ending bond between mothers and daughters, a bond that survives beyond the grave.

A rather odd book. I kept on reading it hoping it would get better. It took me a long time to read it only because it was not riveting.

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I've always loved Joyce Carol Oates, and chose this book of hers to read for its title, and its cover. What I expected and hoped for was a story about a mom, say a mom of twin toddlers, who runs away on a fabulous adventure, is missed by all, and returns triumphant. But this story is about a 31 year old single woman named Nikki Eaton who is too busy living her own life to be bothered with her mother's, and then her mother is dead and Nikki suffers debilitating guilt for a year. So that was jarring.

Oates does such a beautiful job on the character of the mother Gwen Eaton, I actually grieved for her. I also enjoyed the bitchy bossy older sister Clare, whose marriage and children and luxurious home made Nikki feel small in comparison; and the sisters' complicated relationship and constant sparring was so lifelike.

My only real problem with the book was the main character Nikki. I just didn't get how she was perceived... Oates seemed to be stressing Nikki's sexiness, but the way she described her fashion-sense, I just kept cringing for her (braless in t-shirts, platform translucent glitter shoes, skin tight white mini skirt!). I have to be honest and admit I kept picturing her in big round purple Joyce Carol Oates spectacles, eek.

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