Naomi Voorhees

Naomi Voorhees is one of the main perspectives of the book, told in a combination of the first and third person, but mostly the third person perspective. She is the daughter of Gus Voorhees and Jenna Matheson. She is the sister of Darren and Melissa, and the granddaughter of Madalena Kein. The novel starts with Naomi as a young child in the part, “The Life and Death of Gus Voorhees: An Archive” and she grows into her teenage years after her father’s death and the subsequent trials. Her third person perspective is told again in the parts “The Embrace: March 2006 - March 2010” and “The Consolation of Grief: September 2011 - February 2012.”

The novel follows Naomi’s growth from a young child to an adult, starting with the chapters “Abortionist’s Daughter” and “Memory, Undated.” Oates writes these chapters simply, as fragments of memories to show how Naomi...