We Were the Mulvaneys

The Mulvaneys are blessed by all that makes life sweet -- a hardworking father, a loving mother, three fine sons, and a bright, pretty daughter. They are confident in their love for each other and their position in the rural community of Mt. Ephraim, New York. But something happens on Valentine's Day, 1976 -- an incident that is hushed up in the town and never spoken of in the Mulvaney home -- that rends the fabric of their family life. As the years pass the secrets they keep from each other threaten to destroy them, but ultimately they bridge the chasms between them and reunite in the spirit of love and healing. Rarely has such an acclaimed writer made such a startling and inspiring statement about the value of hope and compassion. Joyce Carol Oates is the award-winning author of twenty-seven novels and numerous collections of stories, poetry, and plays. She is the recipient of the 1996 PEN/Malamud Award for Achievement in the short story, and is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of Humanities at Princeton University. A graduate of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, J. Todd Adams is a veteran of the stage. His film and television credits include Warriors of Virtue, Pure Race, and Days of our Lives.