ABOUT THE BOOK
Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Oprah Daily, Elle, and LitHub!
A LibraryReads Pick for March 2023!
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.
| Listening Length | 12 hours and 28 minutes |
|---|---|
| Author | Jeannette Walls |
| Narrator | Jeannette Walls |
| Audible.com Release Date | March 28, 2023 |
After reading The Glass Castle, I was thrilled when the opportunity came up to listen to Jeannette Walls’s new book Hang the Moon. And though it didn’t jump into my favorite pile of books, it was very enjoyable, especially since I haven’t read any historical fiction tied to the Prohibition era. And I have to mention that the book cover is intriguing and beautiful.
The story focuses on a rather twisted family dynamic as well as bootlegging in Virginia during the 1920s. Sallie, the main character, is the daughter of an entrepreneur and landlord known as “the Duke.” We follow Sallie’s life from a youngster to an influential character in the community. She is filled with determination and spunk that tends to drive the story.
This story covers so much regarding family, the complications involved, and the era in history. Jeannette Walls does a wonderful job of narrating her story, which isn’t always the case when an author chooses to take over that role.
My Concerns
While I rolled with the punches, at times the story felt like a daytime soap opera.
Final Thoughts
While parts of the story were quite interesting and I liked the characters, as a whole it didn’t quite work for me. In fact, it almost felt like two stories that were pieced together with a surprise ending.
However, I think it’s a book that has at least a fifty percent chance of working for you, so don’t hesitate to give it a try.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ALC of this book.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeannette Walls graduated from Barnard College and was a journalist in New York. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, has been a New York Times bestseller for more than eight years. She is also the author of the instant New York Times bestsellers The Silver Star and Half Broke Horses, which was named one of the ten best books of 2009 by the editors of The New York Times Book Review. Walls lives in rural Virginia with her husband, the writer John Taylor.
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