What We're Reading: Debbie

Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates

Upstate New York, in a gritty, rusty, working class town, is where this tragedy unfolds. Two families are forever destroyed by the unsolved murder of a young mother. Most of the story is told by Krista, the daughter of the assumed killer (who was never charged). Then Aaron, the son of the victim, picks up the tail end of the storytelling. Great book, with just the right mix of love, violence, sex, and mystery to keep me enthralled. This author has become one of my top favorites, especially for when I find that my reading tastes have gotten too "warm and fuzzy" and I need a look at the other side. Others I've read by Oates which have the same style are: We Were the Mulvaneys, The Gravedigger's Daughter, and The Tattooed Girl.