A review by kate56
A Book of American Martyrs by Joyce Carol Oates

5.0

At first I blamed the author when I found it difficult to engage with some characters and yet connected so quickly with others. I felt compelled to skip over some stories to get on with the characters I liked. Then I thought…well… that’s the point. JCO took me - in sometimes predictable but often completely unpredictable ways - from repulsion to grief to …aahh… okay, I can better understand perspectives that I tend to dismiss or avoid. Our need to feel empathy for and connect to each other through our differences is crucial. A very timely, amazing book.