--- product_id: 45700054 title: "The Gravedigger's Daughter" brand: "joyce carol oates" price: "£21.76" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/45700054-the-gravediggers-daughter store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # The Gravedigger's Daughter **Brand:** joyce carol oates **Price:** £21.76 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Gravedigger's Daughter by joyce carol oates - **How much does it cost?** £21.76 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/45700054-the-gravediggers-daughter) ## Best For - joyce carol oates enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted joyce carol oates brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The Gravedigger's Daughter: A Novel (P.S.) ## Images ![The Gravedigger's Daughter - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Vbru33xwL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Oates explores impact of childhood abuse on development of woman's identity *by B***R on Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2008* In "The Gravedigger's Daughter," Joyce Carol Oates explores the impact of childhood abuse on the development of a woman's identity. Her intricately designed and compelling novel details the brutal early life of Rebbeca Schwart and follows her into adulthood, one in which the grown woman casts off previous sufferings but never escapes their cruel shadow. The youngest child of an impoverished German Jewish immigrant family, Rebecca endures a barren early life that includes being subjected to an ill-tempered, violent father, the slow and tortured descent of her mother into mental illness and the callous disregard of her two insensitive older brothers.Unable to endure the moral and spiritual poverty of their graveyard surroundings, Rebecca's brothers flee the wrath of their father and the hopelessness of their condition. Eventually, Rebecca witnesses the murder/suicide of her mother and father, an event whose impact reverberates throughout her life. Abandoned, traumatized and directionless, Rebecca must reinvent herself, first as a ward of the court, then as a wife and mother. It is Oates' brilliant depiction of a woman struggling to create a new self while simultaneously attempting to submerge her previous identity that gives "The Gravedigger's Daughter" its emotional impact. Rebecca's cryptic personae permit her to survive but never grant her existential peace.What solace she savors derives from her brilliant but tormented son, he the product of one of the most nefarious characters of contemporary literature. Beguiled and then beaten by Niles Tignor, Rebecca re-experiences the controlling, violent outbursts that characterized her father. Her act of personal liberation, her reinvention of identity and her commitment to her child's wellbeing exemplify a quiet, implacable will to live. Always wary of being discovered, perpetually cautious and suspicious, Rebecca refuses to give herself away to any man or idea. She lives to survive.Written with excruciating detail, "The Gravedigger's Daughter" is much more than an exploration of one woman's consciousness. Joyce Carol Oates has crafted a work that explicitly describes violence, directly confronts social injustice and sensitively describes how a thwarted human spirit heals itself. This is a novel that will unsettle and upset, but it is also a cautionary tale of how identity, however shattered, will undergo reformation and reinvention. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars arrived quickly *by S***A on Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2022* this arrived very quickly, a good quality paper back. it is well written and easy to follow, easy to want to keep reading. after finishing the book i realized i did not like the story as it left me questioning in the wrong ways. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Not my first novle By this Author *by M***E on Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2013* I have been reading Oates books since High School. Her short stories are my favorite among short stories. This book in particular I heard about from a professor I had a few years ago. I tried reading it from the library, but other priorities got in the way. So now that I have more time to read, I ordered this book right away. Still love how she uses words and writes accents within the story that paints a picture of being there.Those are the really great books, the ones that paint the pictures of being within the story. Watching the family, one by one as described..... Narrated/ told by the daughter. Who is this grave diggers daughter? Who or where she comes from? Where is she going, a story told before so many times. So why is this one so unique? Seemingly to be another story of all stories told of life, someones own life. With points and areas mirroring our own.This is different, why? A tale written in a way that grasps the readers attention with each turn of the page. Grabbing hold of the readers surroundings in every paragraph. Most say reading the book is better than the movie, if there were a movie to this, it would not do it justice. Because one can be swept into the scenery and its people. In a way of being a friend of the family gravedigger. Maybe the reader becomes a towns person watching and wondering what is next?! The poignant way the words are put together, not so bluntly, and not so bashful. This is the reason for the book being so interesting. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/45700054-the-gravediggers-daughter](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/45700054-the-gravediggers-daughter) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-18*