This is not The Glass Castle. It is VERY important to go into Hang the Moon clear on this. I was able to fully enjoy this novel once I let all expectations go as fiction is very different from memoir. Walls clearly knows how to write fiction just as strongly as she does memoir. I was gripped by this story and cared SO deeply

Jeannette Walls, with unparalleled perception and kindness brings to us the inner voices of people who survive and thrive, despite their extraordinary dysfunctional families. I have loved each of her books for her gift of writing, so much that I read hours and hours until my eyes will not let me stay awake. Hang the Moon may be her best book.

Duke Kincaid, owner of the Big House and the Emporium Store in Caywood, a small town in Virginia, is tough and in charge. He's married to his third wife, Jane. Sallie is eight years old, the daughter of Duke's second wife. Her mother died when she was three. Jane, wife number three is mother to Eddie. He's three years old and very much a "mama's boy." Rough and tumble Sallie loves her brother. Jane doesn't love Sallie though and things she's bad for Eddie. So, when something happens that gives Jane leverage, Duke agrees to send Sallie to live with her Aunt Faith, until this blows over. Faith is very poor, a little disreputable, and a loving aunt who does her best by Sallie. It is around 1910. Almost ten years later, Duke brings Sallie home. Jane has died and he wants her to teach Eddie, 13, and to make sure he"mans up" and becomes a real Kincaid. Duke knows Sallie is all Kincaid. The brilliant sensitive Eddie takes to Sallie and she to him, but she nurtures him in his grief for his mother, ignoring her father's directive.

As the story unfolds, changes come to the family, with disputes over property and power. Duke marries again to an unexpected type of woman, Kat. She's a widow, a bit bawdy, but she could just give Duke the kind of son he wants. Duke goes on as usual. He dispenses justice. Looks over his vast property holdings. Continues to accept payment for goods from the store in the form of fine locally distilled whiskey, even into prohibition. He makes sure handpicked men, like his brother-in-law Earl hold positions of authority and influence in the town. Sallie still adores Duke. As things evolve, Sallie grows up and learns a lot more about her background, her family and Duke's nature.

Over time, there are deaths, murders, bootlegging and a fortune to be had through running bootleg liquor to better places with better prices. The characters in the novel are fabulous. Eddie, the piano playing, sensitive and brainy small boy; Aunt Mattie, Duke's sister who would have been Duke if she were male; Aunt Faith who is judged for bad choices all driven by poverty, while the wealthy people who judge her profit from immorality; Sallie, an independent, smart girl, then woman who is not interested in marriage and who has great business sense and common sense; Frank Rawley, an entrepreneurial handsome man who helps Sallie figure out how to improve revenue; Nell, longtime housekeeper and cook for the big house; Tom Dunbar, a law student and Sallie's childhood friend who wants more than friendship with Sallie; various ordinary townsfolk, some rough and scary drunks and some kindly, but poor and all beholden to Duke.

Ultimately, Walls poses a universal question for people whose families are not okay and cause them trauma. How do we find peace and connection with people so that our lives have meaning? How do we let go of what has hurt us and move on? This period piece, placing us smack in the years of prohibition, with its boozy parties, its small town caste system and the roles of strong women who are typecast into expectations of marriage and children and sensitive boys who are expected to be rough and tough rings true throughout. It is moving, sad, triumphant, full of loss and redemption. Highly, highly recommend. But if you've read Jeannette Walls, you already bought the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Scribner Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Jeannette Walls - 4.5 stars!

Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of The Duke, the biggest man in the county at the turn of the 20th century in rural Virginia. Sallie's mother died when she was young and Duke quickly remarried and had a son. When an accident happened that Sallie was deemed at fault, she was sent to live with her aunt. It was supposed to be for only a month but ended up being 9 years. She lived quite the different life during that period - she went from a rich home to scrubbing laundry for money enough to get by at her aunt's. When she is finally allowed back home, things are very different. She soon gets involved in things she could never have imagined.

Jeannette Walls can certainly write, as proven in her memoir The Glass Castle as well as her other novels. This is such an interesting look into the times of Prohibition as viewed through Sallie's eyes. Everyone in her family had so many secrets, yet Sallie was such a strong character, trying to do what was right, even if it was not legal. She stood up and took charge when she needed to, and took care of those around her. Loved the ending!

4.5 stars

Nothing like a true strong woman and a devotion to family.
(More to come)

Was I intrigued? Yes, indeed! I so enjoy books about strong, stand on your own two feet women, women who are capable of withstanding the hard knocks of life and come back with her fists raised and ready for battle.

Such a girl was Sallie Kincaid second daughter of the backwoods titan, Duke Kincaid. She adored her powerful father, and sought strength in him and his name, but Duke was a hard taskmaster and demanded the best from his children. He was a denizen in town, a man not to be messed with, and Sallie did whatever Duke desired. When Duke married for the third time, his new wife did not cotton to Sallie and after a childhood type of accident involving her and her step brother, she was sent off into the wilds of her aunt's home, a place where tough work but kindness and love resided.

It was suppose to be for a month, but it turned into nine years when Sallie returns to the big house where she learns to deal with tensions and quite a bit of unlawfulness. When Duke passes, her step brother and older step sister eventually die, and sadness fills the household, but tough resilient Sallie goes forward and of all things becomes a bootlegger in order to not only ensure her survival but that of her beloved aunt, and the people who so rely on the Kincaid name.

I so enjoyed Sallie's story, her toughness, her courage, and her ability to shine in a time when Prohibition reigned. Tough times demand tough people and Sallie was certainly the one to step into the life she was destined to fulfill.

Thank you to Jeannette Walls, Scribner, and NetGalley for a copy of this story which published March 28, 2023.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly had no idea what this story was about before starting the book and I was pleasantly surprised! The writing is well done and the characters all have long backstories. It can be difficult to to remember who’s who at first but as I continued reading it got easier. I really enjoyed the place and tome that this story was set and how most people were just trying to survive by any means necessary, mainly bootlegging whiskey. If you’re into historic fiction with the story centering around family drama, be sure to check this book out!

This extraordinary novel about a fiercely independent girl growing up during the 1930’s in the remote hills of Virginia, her no-good, two-timing, powerful Daddy, and how she emerges a force to be reckoned with during Prohibition mesmerizes. It has all the earmarks of an American classic, and once again like Wells’ other novels draws heavily on true family history.

Sally Kincaid is the daughter of Duke who ruled the small-town business, government, and police in the small rural Virginia mountain town where Sally grows up. Sally’s mother, a free spirit herself, had died during a violent, and not-spoken-about since, argument with Duke when Sally was just a toddler. Remarried, Duke exiles Sally from their huge home her at age 8 to live with mother’s sister as her stepmom sees Sally’s wild ways as endangering her younger frail step-brother Eddie.

Sally lives with her impoverished Aunt Fae, taking in wash to soak in lye in order to meet ends meet, until summoned back home by Duke at age 17 after her stepmom dies. Tasked with looking after Eddie, Sally’s smarts, sharp instincts, `and forthrightness take her instead deeper in Duke’s business dealings and tenant rent collections. Sally also has to contend with the contentious family politics of the extended Kincaid family, and the intrinsic violence of a long-standing feud between the Kincaids and the Bond Brothers family.

Well’s recreates the dialog and slang of the age with an ear of perfection, drawing you into a time when hillbilly twang and generational feuds ruled the area.

Sally’s fierceness, boldness, empathy and resourcefulness rushes the book along through turbulent years of bootlegging whiskey from the mountains to well-paying city folk, along with betrayals, political showdowns, and revealed deeply held family secrets too numerous to count.

In short: an irresistible heroine and another brilliant novel served up by Wells.


Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy

I am feeling quite at odds on how to review this book. The story takes place and the early 1920s, during the time of prohibition, in a small Virginia town. In the beginning, I felt sad for this little girl Sallie. Her life was thrown into a tailspin with the death of her mother. Her father, being a very powerful man in stature, and in the community, she had no one else to look up to. The majority of the story has many tragic encounters. I began to wonder what the plot of the story was. It reminded me of a soap opera set in the 1920s. I’m not sure what possessed me to continue reading but it was as if I could not put it down. I think I was hopeful for redemption or happiness for Sallie. I won’t give any spoilers, but I will say I’m glad I finished it. Because of her hardships Sallie had no choice, but to become a strong independent woman.

“Outlaw. Rumrunner. Bootlegger. Blockader. I don’t for one second forget that what we are doing is illegal, but legal and illegal and right and wrong don’t always line up.”

Hang the Moon is a historical fiction book about prohibition Virginia in the 1920s. Sallie Kincaid is born to the richest and most powerful man in the county but he has no problem sending her off when his third wife wants her gone. Years later Sallie returns and tries to fit back into her family and the business.

I liked Sallie and her determination but overall the book was just okay. I found it to be heavy on convenient deaths and marriages. There was plenty of family drama to go around and lots of secrets coming out. I’m in Kentucky so a lot of this was familiar or relatable in some ways. Mountain people are tough and make the best of what they have. They do what they have to to survive and I love that theme throughout the book.

Great read! Characters are well developed and the plot is interesting. I love the time frame and the setting of this story. Can't wait to get this in my library so I can recommend it to patrons!

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls is my first book by this author. I do have a couple by her that I've hung onto because they were gifts and I always wanted to read them. I think I have to make room for them in my schedule now that I have tasted her writing style.

This book takes place in the 1920's during prohibition. It has it all. There is bootlegging, family feuds, love stories, cheating and everything in between. It was a good story and kept me turning the pages. Don't you just love a great story?

Reading the author's notes at the end, it looks like she put a lot of research into this book. She  based some of the characters and happenings with historical events. I enjoy a story that has some truth to it. I will have to say there was an awful lot of cheatin going on in this family. It just wasn't in the current generation but went back many generations. 

If you like Historical Fiction and reading about different time periods, then this book might be for you. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don't forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review.

Quick and Dirty⁣
-Southern historical fiction⁣
-Prohibition-era⁣
-coming of age story⁣
-fiercely independent female MC⁣
⁣
Musings⁣
I love a good Southern setting in a novel. It takes me home without the cost of a flight! And joining Sally Kincaid and the gang in their small Virginia town was like stepping back into familiar yet foreign territory. I really enjoyed the character development in this book, particularly that of Sally. She's the daughter of the town's most prominent businessman, The Duke, who all but owns the town. We meet Sally when she's young and being sent to live with an aunt after her stepmother decides she's a bad influence on her young, feeble step-brother. We meet her several years later, a young woman now back in town to help her father hold the family together after the sudden death of her stepmother. As you can imagine, drama ensues! But the death of The Duke a short time later sends everything into a tailspin. Everyone is jockeying for power, including her family. Sally is eventually forced to step up to take control of the chaos, and in doing so proves she was the rightful heir all along. The book is action-packed, particularly the latter half which has late-night whiskey runs and shootouts! And I have to say the parallels with the Tudor dynasty are pretty cool when you zoom out and see the full picture. If you enjoyed Sandra Brown's Blind Tiger, you should not miss this book!

Prohibition Era in the deep South is the plot. I wanted so badly to love this authors work of fiction. The female lead was well developed but the plot stayed somewhat stagnant for me.

Jeannette Walls is one of my favorites, so I was so excited to see a new book coming out after years of silence. I didn’t go in expecting anything comparable to The Glass Castle (one of my all-time favorites), but I read her novels Half Broke Horses and The Silver Star years ago and loved them, so I was thrilled to see a new novel from her.

Unfortunately, this book was a swing and a miss. 😞 There was so much potential here — A spunky female heroine, a small southern town in a prohibition setting, whiskey bootlegging, family drama, racial conflict… unfortunately it all just fell flat.

There were definitely moments where Walls’ writing shone through and reminded me what a good writer she is, but those moments were few and far between. My biggest complaint was that the plot had so much going on and yet, none of it really felt central. It was like there was so much going on, it was boring and felt like nothing going on. The whole thing read like a first draft and if the plot had been reworked and focused a bit and the characters developed a little more, this book could have been much more.

Having loved The Glass Castle as well as an amazing interview with Jeannette Walls on CBS Sunday Morning a few years ago, I was excited to read her new fictional book HANG THE MOON. I found I could not turn the pages fast enough starting with the Prologue and the first third of the book. My heart went out to nine-year-old Sallie from the very beginning when she was blamed for an accident involving her younger brother Eddie. Her father takes her to live with her aunt because her step-mother does not want Sallie around. She lives with her aunt for nine years until Eddie’s mom, Jane, passes away. Her father brings her back, puts Sallie in charge of Eddie’s education and remarries. I thought this was going to be a moving fast-paced book, and it was until there is an accident where Sallie’s father died. Here is where I thought the story would show the growth of Sallie; however, I felt like the book became more of a soap opera with lots of characters that were in and out of the story. It was almost like every idea that shows up in a soap opera were part of the story. My thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

I was so looking forward to this because The Glass Castle is one of my very favorite books and probably my most recommended book.
Unfortunately this fell flat for me. The plot sounded interesting, but I just couldn't get into it. There was almost too much going on in the plot. I got confused quite a few times. I did like Sallie's character, but didn't find myself caring about any of the others and it was hard for me to keep all the people straight. I look forward to reading more from Jeannette Walls in the future though.
Thank you Netgalley for letting me read early!

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒔- 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝑰 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌, 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑬𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒆, 𝒓𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒖𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒅, “𝑰’𝒎 𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆,” 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒋𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔. 𝑰 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒃 𝒂𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒍 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆.

Sallie Kincaid once lived in the Big House with her father Duke Kincaid “the Duke”, who is just as imposing and powerful in their small town as their home. She was his ‘little whippersnapper’ then, but the widower remarries a woman named Jane, of ‘good breeding’, not like her mother whose death is suspicious, a beauty she doesn’t much remember. The two have a son named Eddie, and Jane isn’t fond of Sallie, in fact she believes she is a bad influence on her son and is far too rowdy for a young lady. Where Sallie is strong, intelligent, healthy and a little daredevil who loves speeding fast in her wagon, Eddie is often ill, delicate in nature and nearly allergic to being outdoors. Naturally Jane dotes on him, which irritates the Duke. There is an accident, and 8-year-old Sallie is in trouble, it is then her father makes a decision that she must be sent away to her mother’s sister, Aunt Faye in Hatfield, if he is to know peace from Jane. It won’t be long, he assures his whippersnapper, only just until, “this blows over.”

Nine years later her childhood friend Tom Dunbar is tasked with the job of bringing her back home to Caywood. Her father needs her now, to take over care of her brother, the very boy Jane felt she endangered. The long years between she has been living a harder life, helping her aunt make ends meet, despite the help her father provides. Walking back into the house, she feels like a stranger, and the rest of the family isn’t happy to see Sallie either, reminding her not to show any fight or they will say she is just like her mother was. Duke’s focus now is on raising his son to be a future senator, Eddie means everything to him, and Sallie’s role is to ‘toughen him up.’ Eddie, like her, has had a big loss but that doesn’t mean they will bond, that he will obey. Her purpose will be tested by a lot more than a troubled half-brother. Her father also wants her to marry well, but Sallie has always wanted to be more, challenging the freedoms not given to women. He wants grandsons, he wants her to get ahead the only way a woman can… through marriage. She wants none of it. She is also worried about how Aunt Faye will survive now that she won’t be returning to live with her and the Duke’s support will stop. He is unmovable, as stoney as the wall they once built together, more so when the forbidden subject of her mother, which he calls ‘that woman,’ comes up. There were periods when she and her aunt didn’t have enough food, and it’s only a matter of time before Faye is low again, taking on desperate work. It eats away at her mind that she is all alone, in dire straits, unlike their father, she is unquestionably loyal and caring.

It’s a challenge to ‘find the Kincaid’ in Eddie, swallowed in grief over the loss of his mother, who the Duke is trying to erase as he is on the hunt for another wife. Their father isn’t the most sensitive person, it’s his world, and everyone else better just toughen up and fall in line. Kat, the new stepmother, is introduced into the home and as she grows chummy with Eddie, Sallie wonders if her father will no longer have use for her, fearful of being displaced yet again. She refuses to break, talking her dad into a job most men couldn’t handle. She will prove herself or die.

There are more trials headed her way, including the Duke’s eldest child, her sister Mary. Tradition states everything goes to Eddie when the Duke dies, the businesses, the home, and the land but with Eddie being a minor, it becomes a fight. Whether his sister is a better fit doesn’t matter, the male heir takes all. Soon, Sallie’s family is divided again, even Kat is unsure of where she stands. Then there are the local bootleggers, and the messy politics, prohibition laws that stir up nothing but trouble with the locals. Change is on the way, and family loyalty is tested. This novel is full of tragedy, and devastating turns but Sallie is a fiercely strong, independent force of nature. It’s an engaging historical fiction, one that I can see being turned into a movie. There is racism, domestic violence, suicide, marriages, pregnancies, a custody battle and of course passionate love. The family has a whole plot full of skeletons, it would seem, rather than a closet. Sallie will endure betrayal, heartbreak, deception, and violence trying to build a family. Will she ever know peace?

An engaging read, perfect for fans of historical fiction and family drama.

Publication Date: March 28, 2023

Scribner

I have never previously read a Jeannette Walls book, and this one will not be my last. Every family has secrets. Kincaid’s secrets run deep. Sallie just knows that her daddy is one of the most influential people in the valley. He would do anything to keep their town safe, yet when he dies things start to fall apart quickly. Can Sallie figure out how to save her family and her town in a time where the world is against everything they stand for?
This just was a fantastic book. The pace is amazing. I loved all the characters, and story development. I was swept away in all the best ways possible. Every secret and plot twist was played at the perfect time. I cannot recommend this book enough! It was truly a pleasure to read.
Thank you so very much to Scribner and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

I’ve been looking forward to reading this and it was worth the wait. There were many topics that appealed to me in the story. Prohibition, 1920’s rural Virginia, family scandals, and a strong female protagonist make up the main part of the story.

Sallie Kincaid was born into a prosperous family in their county in rural Virginia. Her father, Duke, could be described as a big fish in a little pond. He pretty much called the shots in their area. When Duke dies unexpectedly, Sallie ends up with the chance to try and fill his shoes.

As Sallie struggles with her legacy, she comes to realize that maybe she doesn’t want to be like Duke. Sallie learns she needs to make her own way and try to right the wrongs of her family legacy.

I really loved how compassionate Sallie was and how she grew up throughout the story. I highly recommend this to readers who love historical fiction or those who just love a good, heartwarming story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for allowing me to read an advance copy. I’m happy to recommend this and offer my honest review.

Bring the tissues for this one. In true Jeannette Walls fashion, you’ll be crying your eyes out in no time with “Hang the Moon.”

Set in the hills of Appalachia, Walls transports us to the early 1900s when women have few rights, men hold the power & Prohibition is at its peak. From crime & lawlessness to birth & death, this novel of historical fiction will leave you reeling with a myriad of emotions. My heart broke in so many places reading about the trials & tribulations of the cursed Kincaid family. Each time I thought that a light at the end of the tunnel was coming, another disaster struck. Much like it remains today in rural parts of Appalachia.

While my West Virginia roots may have held a little bias in how much I enjoyed this book & connected to its characters, I believe anyone who reads this will feel the same. Congratulations to author Jeannette Walls on once again bringing to life another important piece of history.

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.

I received an advance read of this book in exchange for an honest review.