The Half Moon

by Mary Beth Keane

Book Overview

"An insightful, riveting study of marriage." --People

From the bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes, a masterful and "absorbing" (The New York Times) novel about a couple in a small town navigating the complexities of marriage, family, and longing.

Malcolm Gephardt, handsome and gregarious longtime bartender at the Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar. When his boss finally retires, Malcolm...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1982172606
• ISBN13: 9781982172602
• Release Date: May 2023
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Mystery and Marriage

3 1/2 Stars rounded up. This story was slow to develop, but once I got into the mystery part it picked up. Basically this is the story of a marriage hanging by a thread. The husband has ambitions and dreams for his neighborhood bar, The Half Moon, which he finally owns, but is also struggling financially. The lawyer wife is obsessed with having a child, and they are running out of options and the money to make that happen. Most of the story takes place during a one week period when they are hit with not one, but two blizzards, basically shutting the town down. There are many flashbacks into the couple's history and they are currently separated. The mystery of a regular patron of The Half Moon disappearing during the first blizzard, last seen in the bar, is the most interesting part of the story. I found that I didn't particularly like the two main characters, especially Jess, the wife. All that being said, this was a quick, sort of fun read.