Valley of the Moon
A Novel
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4.4 • 22 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The author of the critically acclaimed Wife 22 has written a captivating novel about a love that transcends time—perfect for readers of The Time Traveler’s Wife, Time and Again, and the novels of Alice Hoffman.
San Francisco, 1975. A single mother, Lux Lysander is overwhelmed, underpaid, and living on the edge of an emotional precipice. When her adored five-year-old son goes away to visit his grandparents, Lux takes a solo trip to Sonoma Valley—a chance to both lose herself and find herself again.
Awakened at midnight, Lux steps outside to see a fog settled over the Sonoma landscape. Wandering toward a point of light in the distance, she emerges into a meadow on a sunny day. There she meets a group of people whose sweetly simple clothing, speech, and manners almost make them seem as if they are from another time.
And then she realizes they are.
Lux has stumbled upon an idyllic community cut off not only from the rest of the world but from time itself. The residents of Greengage tell a stunned and disoriented Lux that they’ve somehow been marooned in the early twentieth century. Now that she has inexplicably stepped into the past, it is not long before Lux is drawn in by its peace and beauty.
Unlike the people of Greengage, Lux discovers that she is able to come and go. And over the years, Lux finds herself increasingly torn between her two lives. Her beloved son is very much a child of the modern world, but she feels continually pulled back to the only place she has ever truly felt at home.
A gorgeous, original, and deeply moving novel about love and longing and the power that time holds over all of us, Valley of the Moon is unforgettable.
Praise for Valley of the Moon
“The literary equivalent of a farm-to-table delicacy: lovingly handcrafted, delectable and transcendent, becoming more than just a tasty appetizer but a full-course experience of love and time and all the mystical beauty that the region has to offer.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Beautifully written . . . [Valley of the Moon is] a wonderful story about belonging, love and the aching certainty that there’s something more out there . . . sure to appeal to fans of Time and Again or The Time Traveler’s Wife.”—Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“With lovely shades of The Time Traveler’s Wife, Valley of the Moon is a magical, cinematic novel, breathlessly romantic and alive with the love of language.”—Sarah Addison Allen
“An enjoyable magic carpet ride . . . Two narrators, separated by nearly a century, tell a tale of old-time charm and contemporary agita.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Captivating.”—Booklist
“Gripping . . . This update of Brigadoon is recommended because of its well-crafted twists and thought-provoking insights into different times and cultures.”—Historical Novels Review
“A propulsive and at times deeply suspenseful novel . . . [Valley of the Moon] offer[s] powerful and perceptive considerations about the passage of time, the shape of our lives and the often unintended effects our actions have on the people and communities around us.”—Bookreporter
Customer Reviews
Unique novel!
Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon is a unique novel. Lux Lysander lives in San Francisco, California in 1975. Lux is a single mother of a five-year-old (Bennett) and a waitress at an Irish pub in North Beach. While her son, Benno (his nickname) is visiting his grandparents in Rhode Island, Lux has decided to go on a camping trip. She needs to get away for a while. Lux going on a camping trip in the Sonoma Valley (Lux calls in Valley of the Moon). Something awakens her at midnight and she sees a strange fog. She sees a light and goes to investigate. As far as Lux knows there should not be any homes nearby. Lux heads towards the light and emerges to find a barn. Upon further investigation, Lux finds a whole village. The people here speak differently and wear old fashioned clothing.
Joseph Beauford Bell lives in Greengage. A community he established in San Ellen, California. This community set up where everyone is equal (whether they are rich, poor, white, Hispanic, Catholic, Episcopalian, etc.). All the residents get a fair wage and a share in the profits. The community has about 300 residents along with Joseph’s sister, Fancy who is visiting when there is a big earthquake in 1906. After the earthquake tremors die down, a strange fog envelops Greengage. When residents try to leave, they die in the fog. In all this time no one has ever come looking for them or stumbled into their town, until Lux. Lux feels such a peace in this unique town. The people are hopeful that they can now leave, but it is not to be. Lux enjoys her visit to Greengage, but she soon has to leave. She discovers that time moves differently in the two worlds. It goes faster in the real world. Lux has to be careful how much time she spends in Greengage (dreadful consequences). And she can only return when there is a full moon and then wait for the fog to appear. But the fog is not consistent in its appearance. As the years go by Lux is more torn between these two worlds. But Lux has her son to consider. Will Lux ever be able to stay in the world that feels like home?
Valley of the Moon was an interesting story. I liked it, but the pace is a little slow. The writing is also a flat. It needed a little more excitement or action. I liked the characters especially Joseph and the town of Greengage. Valley of the Moon is really a romance novel about two people who meet despite the chasm of time. I give Valley of the Moon 4 out of 5 stars. The book did hold my interest and I was curious to see what choice Lux would make in the end. The book does have a strange ending. If you enjoy unique, romance novels, then you will like Valley of the Moon.
I received this novel in exchange for an honest review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.
Not for me
If you like juvenile fiction or fantasy you may like this? Not my jam. Too unrealistic. Just not for me.
Beautiful story
I found it poignant in its many layers of love, loss and the struggle of human relationships.
The time travel is unique and lovely. The end had me in tears.
Beautiful book.