Description
In post–World War II America, two lives—those of Iris Courney and Jinx Fairchild—are drawn into an uneasy, lasting bond after a single act of violence changes the trajectory of both. Told in a present-tense, omniscient mode that keeps the reader close to events without retreating into any one character’s interiority, the novel unfolds with the charged clarity of a late-night scene on the edge of town. As Iris’s sharp intelligence collides with the limits of her social and economic world, the story explores how desire, fear, and moral compromise can reshape identity and belonging. With Joyce Carol Oates’s signature intensity and psychological acuity, this tragic, enthralling novel examines the bitter aftertaste of choices—and the stubborn, complicated force of the heart.
Available Editions
paperback
Plume
Published Jan 1, 1991
405 pages
ISBN: 9780452265813
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Details
First Published
1990
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart by Joyce Carol Oates.