Mudwoman

(Ecco) In this novel, Oates traces the journey of M.R. Neukirchen, who rises from the mudflats of the Black Snake River to become the first female president of an unnamed Ivy League university. The book follows Neukirchen’s struggles to upend the patriarchy and increase diversity at the university in the face of post-9/11 patriotism. “M.R.’s identity, idealism, and sanity are all threatened as she wades through obstacles, including sabotaging right-wing colleagues and students,” wrote Publishers Weekly. Oates is Roger S. Berlind ’52 Professor of the Humanities, Professor of Creative Writing in the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University.