[Signed] Oates, Joyce Carol, THE FALLS, New York: Harper Collins, 2004. Signed 1st ed. OE blue paper over darker blue paper hardcover w/bronze titling to spine, 8vo (9x6.125?), Fine/Fine, 481pp. Signed by the author on the front free fly-leaf, here we have a wonderful, and engaging, novel set in 1950 Niagara Falls, where a newlywed?s suicide on his honeymoon night transforms his wife, Ariah, into "the Widow Bride of the Falls." Her subsequent marriage to lawyer Dirk Burnaby and their family life are haunted by tragedy, greed, and environmental scandal, exploring themes of love, loss, and redemption against the mythic backdrop of Niagara Falls. A must-read for its gripping exploration of personal and societal crises, blending Gothic drama with historical and environmental themes, delivered through Oates? masterful storytelling and psychological depth. Not to mention is a signed 1st ed of wondrous value to collectors and future generations ? quite the distinctive book indeed, and yet another example of Captured Tyme!