Genre Fiction
![Jeannette Walls - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B001IGT5FG.jpg)
Hang the Moon: A Novel
Named a LibraryReads Pick for March 2023 and a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Oprah Daily, Elle, and LitHub!
From Jeannette Walls, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle, comes a riveting new novel about an indomitable young woman in Virginia during Prohibition.
Most folk thought Sallie Kincaid was a nobody who'd amount to nothing. Sallie had other plans.
Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father's daughter, sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is his mother's son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out.
Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That's a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.
You will fall in love with Sallie Kincaid, a feisty and fearless, terrified and damaged young woman who refuses to be corralled.
From Jeannette Walls, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle, comes a riveting new novel about an indomitable young woman in Virginia during Prohibition.
Most folk thought Sallie Kincaid was a nobody who'd amount to nothing. Sallie had other plans.
Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father's daughter, sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is his mother's son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out.
Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That's a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.
You will fall in love with Sallie Kincaid, a feisty and fearless, terrified and damaged young woman who refuses to be corralled.
Editorial Reviews
Praise for Hang the Moon
"A rip-roaring, action-packed novel set during Prohibition filled with head-spinning plot twists [and] enough dead bodies, doomed romances, and sudden betrayals to make you wonder if George R.R. Martin had decided to ditch fantasy for Southern Gothic." -Jim Windolf, The New York Times
"There's never a dull moment in ‘Hang the Moon,' a rollicking tale set in Prohibition-era Virginia [with] hairpin twists and turns of its plot. Walls has spun another rich story. Also, it's a lot of fun to read." -Marion Winik, Washington Post
"You'll fall in love with Sallie [Kincaid] on the very first page and keep rooting for her all the way through to the last." -Good Housekeeping
"A propulsive read. "Hang the Moon" goes down easy and just a little too fast, like the forbidden whiskey that defines the life of Sallie Kincaid." -Associated Press
"I couldn't open this book up fast enough. Hang the Moon is immersive from the very first page." -Zibby Owens, "Good Morning America"
"Jeannette Walls is a force to be reckoned with… She has indisputably positioned herself as a writer of great worth, and any work of hers is one to be appreciated." -Julia Hass, LitHub
"Walls has created a magnetic, irreverent dynamo in Sallie, whose transporting narration is incandescent with incisive observations, moral dilemmas, and startlingly gorgeous descriptions… Hang the Moon is vital, provocative, and intoxicating." -Booklist, *starred review*
"Walls's breathtaking latest… The thrilling plot culminates in bombshell revelations… Sallie makes for an indelible heroine.... This is a stunner." -Publisher's Weekly, *starred review*
"A rollicking soap opera that keeps the pages turning with a surfeit of births, deaths, and surprising plot reveals." -
"A rip-roaring, action-packed novel set during Prohibition filled with head-spinning plot twists [and] enough dead bodies, doomed romances, and sudden betrayals to make you wonder if George R.R. Martin had decided to ditch fantasy for Southern Gothic." -Jim Windolf, The New York Times
"There's never a dull moment in ‘Hang the Moon,' a rollicking tale set in Prohibition-era Virginia [with] hairpin twists and turns of its plot. Walls has spun another rich story. Also, it's a lot of fun to read." -Marion Winik, Washington Post
"You'll fall in love with Sallie [Kincaid] on the very first page and keep rooting for her all the way through to the last." -Good Housekeeping
"A propulsive read. "Hang the Moon" goes down easy and just a little too fast, like the forbidden whiskey that defines the life of Sallie Kincaid." -Associated Press
"I couldn't open this book up fast enough. Hang the Moon is immersive from the very first page." -Zibby Owens, "Good Morning America"
"Jeannette Walls is a force to be reckoned with… She has indisputably positioned herself as a writer of great worth, and any work of hers is one to be appreciated." -Julia Hass, LitHub
"Walls has created a magnetic, irreverent dynamo in Sallie, whose transporting narration is incandescent with incisive observations, moral dilemmas, and startlingly gorgeous descriptions… Hang the Moon is vital, provocative, and intoxicating." -Booklist, *starred review*
"Walls's breathtaking latest… The thrilling plot culminates in bombshell revelations… Sallie makes for an indelible heroine.... This is a stunner." -Publisher's Weekly, *starred review*
"A rollicking soap opera that keeps the pages turning with a surfeit of births, deaths, and surprising plot reveals." -
Readers Top Reviews
btw
Hang the Moon is the story of Sallie Kinkaid, daughter of Duke Kinkaid, the most powerful man in the family. Sallie idolizes her father. To her he is the perfect man. When she's eight-years-old, Sallie's stepmother banishes her from the house. She returns nine years later on the cusp of adulthood ready to claim her place in the family. From that moment on, a lot happens. There are deaths, births, arrivals, departures, and of course, whiskey running. Each event rolls into the next with the consequences building like a slow-moving snowball. Nothing is random. A scene that might seem needless will end up playing a keyrole later on. In the middle of all this chaos and change is Sallie who is struggling to learn who she is and who she wants to be. Every time tragedy strikes or a family secret is revaled (and there are a lot of secrets!) she's forced to recalibrate the truth about her family.sees her family. By the end, everything and everyone has changed. Sallie has grown up. Hang the Moon snuck up on me. It wasn't fraught with tension nor did it build to a giant climax, and yet it was a page turner. I liken it to sitting on the front porch listening to someone recounting a story. The only thing missing was a tall glass of lemonade (or in this case, a teacup full of whiskey). I especially loved Sallie's feistiness and individualism. Even when she doubted herself, she still managed to be decisive. This is a great book for people who enjoy beautiful language and good family sagas.
EmmaGHKindle
Clearly it would be hard to beat - or equal - The Glass Castle or Half-Broke Horses, and this book did not. Walls's real-life family is just more interesting than this made-up (although apparently well-researched) one. Reading this book w/out comparing it to those - there were too many little bits that didn't make much of a difference and were distracting. And (semi-spoiler alert) the revelations of who fathered whom got almost to the point of a Ron Popeil "But wait - there's more!" infomercial.
A terrific story by a terrific author. A fast paced page turner. Could not put it down.
DiHop
Jeannette Walls is a gifted writer who makes you fall in step with her protagonist while you step back in time and into their shoes.
elaine462
I really enjoyed the book. Definitely a Jeanette Walls story! Sometimes it’s hard to get past all the twists, almost too many.
