I just finished Joyce Carol Oates' The Gravedigger's Daughter. It is my virgin trip into JCO's terrain, and I must say her writing is astoundingly good. Although it appears to be two or maybe three shorter stories woven into a single one.
It is, at least nominally, about the possibly jewish (lc intentional) daughter of immigrants from Germany as a part of the Nazi war era.
I read it in two chunks. the first third was so intense that I put the book down for a week. I then finished the remaining 400 (yes, it is that long) in two days where I could not put the book down.
Kudos to Ms. Oates for mastering the craft.
