Broke Heart Blues

In Joyce Carol Oates's reissued novel Broke Heart Blues, eleven-year-old John Reddy Heart arrives in the quiet town of Willowsville, New York, with his mother, Dahlia, to claim a mansion left to her by a wealthy suitor. As John captivates the town's residents, he becomes a figure of obsession and longing, ultimately entwined in a tragic incident that solidifies his status as a living myth. Spanning thirty years, the novel examines the complexities of fame, human desire, and the profound costs of dreams, highlighting the various ways people perceive and react to him. With a new afterword by Oates, this story offers a poignant commentary on the nature of celebrity and its impact on community.