The Girl Who Chased the Moon

by Sarah Addison Allen

Book Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "A dusting of magic, the aroma of sugary cakes swirling through the breeze, and a girl who unwittingly brings change to a town of misfits make for a sweet summer story filled with hope and forgiveness."--Beth Hoffman, author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Emily Benedict has come to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother's life. But...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553385593
• ISBN13: 9780553385595
• Release Date: February 2011
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

4 stars

THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON by Sarah Addison Allen Sometimes I just want to read/listen to something light and fluffy and Sarah Addison Allen’s novels are just that - easy, cozy and charming. Each character’s magical senses/abilities were unique and felt organic. I loved the changing wallpaper in Emily’s bedroom, Win’s ability to sense/smell sweets/baked goods, the lingering soot left in places by Stella’s ex husband etc. However, I wasn’t a fan of the dual storyline. Even though Emily and Julia were neighbors it was like reading two semi-related books in one. Overall, this was a quick, feel-good story. This would be a good one to read between more serious books. Side note: Loved Rebecca Lowman’s narration. The southern drawls were ear candy! Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Kept me up all night reading

It's been a while since I didn't want to put a book down. Great story.

It needed more chapter development...

It was a good book, but I feel it was more about the side characters than it was about the main characters, honestly I was too invested in the side characters I craved more, and I needed more development for the main character. The story keep dragging "The secrets" of Emily's mom and her crush, overall the book did kept me entertained, but not the best novel of Sarah Addison.

Delightful Romance

I quite enjoyed this simple romance, set in the small town of Mullaby, North Carolina, with its secrets and its plentiful barbecue. The writing is inviting, and yet lyrical and sophisticated. It has two separate threads, one with a recently orphaned teenager coming to live with a grandfather she's never met, another who returned to her hometown to set her father's affairs in order and found it wasn't so simple. There's a nice mystery, as the secrets about the town are teased and finally revealed, but no one is in mortal jeopardy, nor is there clumsy amateur sleuthing. The romance is light and more focused on the relationships than on physical activity. It's a deeply engaging and pleasurable read that I never wanted to put down, perfect for those occasions like long plane rides where you not only want but need a reason to devour a novel in one sitting.

Allen at her charming best

After Emily Benedict's mother dies, she goes to live in Mullaby, North Carolina, the hometown that Dulcie Benedict left behind and never discussed, with the grandfather she never knew she had. Emily wants to learn more about her mother's past, but in the process she finds a house where the wallpaper changes, where lights dash through the forest behind her house, and where some people have a "sweet sense" and can see cakes being baked. Emily's neighbor, Julia, a former outcast, does her part to help Emily adjust to the knowledge of her mother's past, but she has to face some demons of her own. While I found Allen's last offering, The Sugar Queen, to be a little too sweet, I thought this book found the perfect balance. I loved all the characters, even if they'd made mistakes in their past. Julia's story in particular I found to be heart-wrenching, but she had me cheering for her throughout the entire book. She has a more mature story, knowing all the town's secrets, while Emily has a lot to learn. There are two separate love stories in the book, but neither is really given much preference and both are wonderful. I also really enjoyed the doses of magic spread throughout. They never seem out of place, but fit beautifully within the story and add to it, not at all taking away from the feelings or personalities of the characters. The Girl Who Chased The Moon never feels unrealistic or absurd. It is fairly light fiction but I loved it and I'm very much looking forward to further offerings from Sarah Addison Allen.

Over the moon about this novel!

I love the magical, fanciful worlds in which Sarah Addison Allen's characters reside. All of her books are like this and I anticipate them like a child awaiting her promised night at a fair; dazzling rides, sweet, sugary apples and cotton candy, barker's trying to lure her into the games of chance. This atmosphere is alight in Mullaby, N. C. Seventeen year old Emily is sent to live with her 8 foot tall grandpa when her mother tragically dies. Her mother left Mullaby with a bad reputation, never looking back, but raised her daughter to work hard for cause after cause. It is difficult for Emily to reconcile her hard working, driven mother with the spoiled, bratty girl the town recollects. Other souls that are hoarding secrets of pain aid in slowly acclimating Emily into their fantastical lives. Her wall paper changes itself at will; lights flash in the woods which seem haunted. Cake smells waft long distances to entice a child back into the fold. Wonderfully written with characters you instantly fall in love with; I highly recommend this book. I loved her first two and Allen didn't let me down with this gorgeous read. I can barely wait for her next offering.....this author has become a must buy as soon as her books are released.....the covers are so intricately beautiful they compliment the novel within. A special, dreamy read.

You may suddenly feel compelled to bake a cake

If you've managed to beat your sweet tooth into submission, be warned, it's about to be reanimated. Ah yes, Allen must be a 'foodie' because she, once again, develops her characters around food, guaranteed to make you hungry, while feelin' right-at-home. You'll forget you're not sitting at the kitchen table partaking with them. Halfway through, I truly HAD to have some cake, and, a southern style, pull-pork-sandwich, sure didn't sound bad, either. Who knew, a novel could have you gain a couple of pounds? Allen's books are magical, comforting fiction; a sweet indulgence. The type of read where you need to shoo everyone from the house, put on your flannel pajamas, funky socks with toes, grab a glass of wine (if you're legal) and your favorite chocolates. Cheetos might work! Then relax in your most comfortable spot, for a girl's-night-in, with characters typical of Allen---folks' down-home enough to be just like us, regardless of how quirky they may initially appear. You'll enjoy your trip to Mullaby, N. Carolina, with all its southern charm, magic and secrets abounding. Where the local town-folk gossip aplenty, the fragrance of fresh baked pastry wafts through the air, wallpaper suddenly changes patterns, and ghostly lights drift through backyards under the moonlight---with the trailing sound of footsteps. Where the town oddity, a giant of a man over eight feet tall, keeps the town's secrets close to heart, until the day his granddaughter, Emily, materializes on his doorstep after the death of her mother, Dulcie. You'll discover why everyone in Mullaby loathed Dulcie. Can Emily win them over, or will she bear the burden of her mother's evil deeds? Emily will meet and be befriended by, Julia Winterson; the girl with a pink stripe in her hair and, very telling external scars, to match her internal ones. Julia's own dark secret drives her to protect and nurture Emily. She rather obsessively bakes cakes, believing they will bring those lost back home to her. But she needs to share her secret with someone, first. Can she ever trust again? I had to suspend disbelief more with this book than Allen's previous work, and there was a lot of predictability, but who cares. I enjoyed it for what it is---a light, feel-good read, offering a moment in time for a magical escape. I know I felt somehow lighter, after reading it, in spite of that piece of cake---well, actually two pieces, but who's counting. Enjoy!

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

The Girl Who Chased the Moon is a fast, delightful read with so many of my favorite things. First, it takes place in the South, a great place to start. Second, the characters are well developed and fully fleshed out. And third, Sarah Addison Allen is a marvelous writer who paints beautiful word pictures. Emily Benedict comes to Mullaby, North Carolina, to live with her grandfather; a man she didn't know existed until her mother died. In Mullaby, Emily discovers there are many secrets involving her mother, secrets making it appear that her mother was not the same person that Emily knew. What follows is an engaging read that kept me turning pages long into the night. I'm not generally a fast reader, but I could not put this book down. I just had to keep reading to find out the secrets involving Emily's mother and some of the rather magical things that go on in Mullaby. I highly recommend this book to those who love Southern fiction with quite a bit of magic thrown in.