Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls pulls the reader into the story with the first sentence. In a small town in rural Virginia, Duke Kincaid’s family has ruled for generations. Everyone owes him. His daughter Sallie, who has been in exile since causing an accident to her stepbrother, returns home after her stepmother dies. The story develops more twists and turns than the winding roads driven by the bootleggers surrounding the town. Love, loss, family and loyalty are the dominant themes. I highly recommend this book. I couldn’t put it down.

Jeannette Walls is a wonderful author. I enjoyed this book, however it did feel a little too make believe with so many people dying in order for the main character to be running the show.

3 1/2 stars rounded up
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review!
First of all, I LOVED Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle in which I deem as one of my favorites. This one didn’t quite get there for me however, I am highly amused with the unique voice she gives Sally and her description of her observations. “There are two kinds of family, those you’re born into and those you put together from pieces that don’t go anywhere else, and this is one of those families. Five of us now. Like mismatched buttons that still keep your shirt closed.” I enjoy Jeannette Walls writing style and will continue looking forward to her future works of art.

This book was highly readable, and I wanted to keep reading, but I did not love its conclusion. I understand it ended at a point that allows the reader to imagine the characters' next steps, but it just felt incomplete. I sincerely doubt there will be a sequel to answer lingering questions, so the dangling end feels untidy. Overall, the book was engaging and the characters were well developed. Fans of Walls will appreciate the vivid development of setting and cast. This was definitely worth the read if you are feeling the need to visit the 1920s South with a slight dash of rum running adventure.

Sallie Kincaid loves her father deeply, despite all he has done to hurt her. As an adult, she still strives to make him proud. Doing so makes her a strong woman in a era when women were often destined to become wives and mothers. A compelling story of family - both the one you are born into and the one you can create if you find the strength.

Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner/Macmillan, and Jeannette Walls for the e-ARC of this book.

While I wouldn't necessarily call this a 'fun' read in the typical sense, I found myself cheering for our protagonist throughout, celebrating her wins and grieving her devastation. It's a quick read about a woman finding her identity, place, and worth in a misogynistic and difficult world in the post WWI era.

I enjoy books with strong female lead characters. It was interesting to read about a stringwoman who eschewed the social mores of her time. I found myself rooting for her to :win” and find peace with herself. Although some of the main character’s memory moments allowed the reader to connect with the main character and better understand her choices, I wish that there had been more.

This as a compelling read from start to finish. Both an unforgettable and unbelievable family saga that takes place post WWI in a backwoods in the Virginia mountains. Jeanette Walls fails to disappoint. I highly recommend this book.

Years ago, I happened upon Jeannette Wall’s memoir The Glass Castle and fell in love with her unique writing style. Hang the Moon, a masterly written tale of Sallie Kincaid, the narrator, was beyond my expectations. I am reluctant to leave Sallie’s world, the Big House, from which she is banished and then welcomed again. This is her story as Sallie evolves from exile to ruling matriarch of the family business and, at times, the whole county. Set in the era of Prohibition, Sallie is convicted to violate the law, making decisions based on her heart and her own moral path. Jeannette Walls’ writing is so true and her descriptions so clear that the reader can hear the voices of the characters and see every scene develop.
One can’t help but cheer for Sallie Kincaid, inspired by the life of Willie Carter Sharpe, “Queen of the Roanoke Rumrunners.” She’s a true Kincaid, wild and strong, and her roots grow deep in the Virginia soil as she follows her father Duke and her grandfather before him as head of the family. She is part of the past but also strong enough to carve her own place. This family tree forks, splits, and shoots out new growth with the turn of every page, so read carefully. Who’s a real Kincaid and who isn’t? Who’s an outsider, and who’s family? Who’s a pureblood and who’s illegitimate? It’s “an unholy mess,” but it’s a heckuva good story.

In Hang The Moon, Jeanette Walls tells the story of Sallie Mae Kincaid, daughter of the Duke, the head of the clan and the unofficial ruler of Claiborne County, Virginia. Set in 1930s in the western mountains, Walls paints a compelling portrait of life in this hardscrabble world. Sent away to live with an impoverished relative and relegated to washing sheets when her father marries for the third time, Sallie Mae longs to return to her small town. Despite her exile, Sallie Mae loves and respects her father, and when she does return, follows his leadership style as events push her to the forefront of the town. She is indomitable and vulnerable all at the same time and I was cheering her on as she found ways to support and protect her community in the face of outside attacks.

Walls has created a world for the reader and I was drawn in to the place, time and people. We learn about the politics of a small town even as Sallie Mae is learning a new way to navigate her world. We ride along with moonshiners on winding mountain roads. And, we grieve for those who are lost for there is much sadness and grief in this book often caused by family pride and resentment. At the heart it is a story of Sallie Mae and the strong women who do the best they can despite all the poverty and heartache they encounter.

Jeanette Wells has once again written a great book. I love her descriptions of her characters and keeps the reader interested in the story!

Excellent big deep dramatic story about a sprawling rum running dynasty - a smart independent woman who fights for her place on a man’s world during prohibition - loved it

There is lots going on beneath the surface of the Kincaid family.
Jeannette Walls has always been a poignant writer and I have always been enthralled by her detailed story telling.

Sallie Kincaid is growing up in a small down in Virginia. Her father, the Duke, runs the town. Her mother died when she was three and Sallie has very few memories of her. One day when she was playing with her little brother, he was hurt and her stepmother demanded that the Duke send Sallie away. Nine years later, the Duke sends for Sallie and she has to start to navigate what it means to be the daughter of the most powerful man in the area. As Sallie gets older, she starts to see that her idealized life as the Duke's daughter isn't all that she thought it was and she must start to figure out what kind of person she wants to be. Set in the early twentieth century (post war, Prohibition era), Jeannette Walls once again creates a powerful portrait of womanhood.

I loved this tale of Sallie Kincaid, the narrator of this incredible story. Exiled by her father, Duke, after an accident almost kills her younger brother Eddie. Finally, brought back home after the death of Eddie’s mother. Sallie becomes involved in the running of the Kincaid family business, as well as the county. As Sallie becomes more independent, she scorns the idea of marriage. Sallie has a clear moral compass that guides her actions, but she is foiled when her father dies and her older sister, Mary, inherits the family business. Mary’s sense of morality almost causes a war in the county, and Sallie is forced to follow her own moral path.

Of course, for those of us who relish English history, we quickly realize that this is a story inspired by the life of Elizabeth I of England. Walls is such a wonderful author that readers who don’t get the (wink) connection will still love the novel. Once again, Walls has created a memorable book and transported the reader into a kingdom in Virginia with the magnificent Sallie Kincaid ruling.

I really thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel by one of my favorite authors.