As with many other readers across the world, my first read and discovery of Ruth Hogan came with her novel THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS. My second dive into her literary canon has been with her latest release THE MOON, THE STARS, AND MADAME BUROVA. I believe it again captures Ruth’s extraordinary ability to build such unique characters, many of whom are quirky and eccentric, that capture the reader’s heart and interest. Hogan and fellow British author Rachel Joyce both share such a beautiful gift of this craft of characters. In this particular story, Hogan animates the crew of Larkins Holiday Park and Brighton’s promenade ranging from a trio of mermaid swimmers to a contortionist, from a motorcycle daredevil to a tarot card clairvoyant, and to even a ‘super recognizer’ (yes, even they exist and are real?!). Hogan also puts strong independent women forefront and center as well as including a lovable assortment of dogs with their own personalities — both further casting a spell over vast reader groups.

Ruth Hogan also weaves together so many different elements in what may be deceptively perceived as a lighter read. Yet in actuality, themes of love, family, and discrimination are addressed with even an element of mystery for the reader to unravel as protagonist Billie is trying to uncover the identity of her biological parents. Hogan is able to dramatically reveal secrets and create further tension as the reader jumps back in forth in a dual timeline and through various main character viewpoints. As Ruth addresses in her author’s note, although this is a fictional story, it has roots grounded in facts based on real life experiences in 1970’s Britain as well as in the Romany culture and vardo lifestyle and ultimately even Hogan’s former career experience as a “senior race-and-gender-equality advisor” and “Head of Diversity in Employment”. Yet despite those themes of heavy importance, it would be remiss to not declare it an endearing love story in the end! After all, Hogan has stated that Paloma Faith’s gripping song, ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’ inspired the main love story in the book!! (I recommend taking a listen - this was a new British artist for me and I thank Ruth for the new exposure to this brilliant voice!)

**BONUS EXTRA : #Bibliophile & #MyLittleReads Showcase Series connections!!**
Ruth is known for using “unusual vocabulary” in her work, being a ‘magpie of words’ allowing her to paint her writing in the rich colors of language. She even has started including a Word of the Month feature in her newsletter!! If this sings to you as a reader, you may also enjoy these companion reads:
For Adult audiences: THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS - by: Pip Williams
For Child audiences: THE KEEPER OF WILD WORDS - by: Brooke Smith

#themoonthestarsandmadameburova
#ruthhogan #thekeeperoflostthings
William Morrow

I enjoyed this story of a woman who is trying to find out about her birth parents. There was a nice little mystery to the story as we travel back in time between today and the 1970's when her parents first met. I liked the characters and setting in this story a lot. Wish there had been a bit more romance to it, but all in all an enjoyable read.

Great read. Loved the characters, especially Madame Burova. It was heartbreaking that she doubted Cillian for all those years. The use of flashbacks connected everyone from present day back to the mystery of the past.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova is such a good story. It takes place in two different time periods and follows the life of Madame Burova. I absolutely loved the Madame Burova character, not on;y was she strong, intelligent, kind, and funny., but she is a dog lover to boot. Perfect. Anyway, the story is about a girl named Billie who comes into Madame Burova's life after her parents pass and she finds out she was adopted. The cast of characters from Larkins, the place Madame Burova worked in the 70s is really neat as is the piano-playing man in Billie's life. While I had my suspicions as to who the parents ended up being, it was a really solid plot. This author is a fantastic storyteller, I can't wait to read more.

This was so different from the other books in the genre for me. It is perfect for the readers who enjoy dual-timeline plots and this one is set in Brighton for one and present day London for the other. The older time-period got me very interested with the whole attitude of people being so different from now and it just whisks you away into a completely different world with entertaining characters. Overall, it was a heartwarming and sweet read once you get adjusted to the various characters that are introduced.

Are you ever in the mood for a lighter read, wanting to avoid super deep story lines, but you also still want a quality story based not solely off romance? I feel like that is a small niche of books and a very specific mood, and one that I find myself in frequently 😂

Ruth Hogan’s writing is so unique and fills that need for me every time! Hint of magical realism? ☑️ A large cast of sweet characters? ☑️ A little romance? ☑️ Secrets that keep you guessing until the end? ☑️ Alternating timelines? ☑️

Madame Burova is a retiring clairvoyant, a special woman with a gift for helping others discover truth. But before she leaves her waterside booth, she has one more promise to fulfill, a secret she has kept for 50 years. Enter Billie, a recently divorced, recently jobless woman who makes a discovery that makes her question everything she knows about her past. These two women come together in the most unlikely of circumstances, and together they go on a journey of discovery and healing.

I recommend picking this book up next time you need a feel-good, sweet, character- and plot-focused story. It won’t leave you disappointed!

The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan is a upbeat and magical story about the adventures of self-discovery in the twilight years. After losing her job at a university, Billie embarks on a journey of a lifetime after an unlikely reading appears in her Tarot cards. While this book was not what I expected, it is a perfect read for fans of The Keeper of Lost Things.

I love Ruth Hogan’s writing! This was a lovely read. Dual timelines are always really interesting to me. I loved both Imelda and Billies stories. The setting of Brighton was put across really well, as was the seventies vibe in Billies portion of the story. A feel good book.

So many characters to know and love, and one to dislike. You'll be rooting for Billie and Imelda as their stories unfold. The characters suffer but are resilient, optimistic, and prevail in the end, I am a sucker for a good story with happy ending.

Madame Burova is a Tarot card and palm reader, and while I have neither of those skills I still might be able to predict if you’ll like Ruth Hogan’s latest novel or not.

Yes:

- You enjoy dual-timeline stories. Here one is set in Brighton in the 1970s and one is in present-day London.

- Mystical, magical realism-adjactent elements appeal, as Madame Burova’s psychic talents make her at home among a colorful cast of entertainers at a holiday camp on the Brighton Pier.

- You’re interested in adoption journeys, because readers follow the story of Billie as she learns upon the death of her father that she was actually an abandoned baby that he and her mother took in.

No:

- You cannot handle any storylines about the mistreatment of animals. There’s a poor, abused and neglected Collie referenced throughout the novel, and while the resolution of that thread is satisfying it’s still hard to read.

On the whole, The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova is a lovely story for readers of character-driven fiction. I’ve only read one other book by Ruth Hogan, but my crystal ball tells me there are more of them in my future.

3.5 stars rounded up

My thanks to the author and William Morrow / Custom House for the advance readers copy to review via NetGalley.

This was a delightful read, complete with love, joy, dogs, a mystery, and a cast of memorable characters. There were also some very deep and meaningful issues discussed including adoption, life’s purpose, and secret keeping.

Hogan’s spellbinding writing immediately swept me up into the unfolding drama. Her prose is so clear that you can see what she is describing. While Hogan’s writing was captivating, what sealed the deal for me were her characters. They were absolutely delightful (for the most part—you have to have some villainesque characters to round out a story)! The story follows two lines—one back in the 1970s centered on Madame Burova and the other story line is in the present, with Billie. The two timelines intersect, bringing together two amazing women. The book was very clear when it switched between the past and present. In the 1970s, Madame Burova has just inherited her mother’s Tarot card reading business and she also tells fortunes at a holiday resort. Along the way, she is forced to keep her clients’ secrets. She meets people from all walks of life and tries to help them with whatever it is they’ve come to see her about. And then she meets Cillian.

In the present, Billie has just lost both of her parents when she receives a posthumous note from her father stating that she was adopted. Shaken to her core, Billie isn’t sure of anything, which is the perfect moment to receive a cryptic message from Madame Burova. Billie is intent on finding out the truth about her birth parents and agrees to meet Madame Burova. Thus begins her search!

What I loved most about this book was how simple it is. I don’t mean simple to mean that it’s an easy, low-level book. No, no, no. I mean simple in that it follows (what could be) real and normal people’s lives. It focuses on the seemingly insignificant events in life, the everyday trauma people face, and it demonstrates how a person can overcome and step into their own. The characters were real and believable. This was truly a beautiful book and I look forward to reading more of Hogan’s amazing work.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for providing me with an ARC.

There’s nothing like a decades-old secret to try and solve as you read along. Ruth Hogan’s latest novel, “The Moon, The Stars, and Madame Burova,” is a memorable and lovable tale following a hopeless romantic clairvoyant and a woman experiencing an identity crisis. The two women are searching for the answers to the secrets haunting them with the glitz of an amusement park backing them.

In 1972, Imelda–known as Madame Burova–is a tarot card reader, palmist, and clairvoyant at a Brighton beachfront amusement park where she meets her lover Cillian Byrne, the Wall of Death rider. Today, Billie discovers after her parent’s deaths that she is a ‘foundling’ and goes in search of her biological parents. This search leads her to Imelda and the secrets she’s kept for decades.

We don’t just follow Imelda and Billie’s stories in “The Moon, The Stars, and Madame Burova” –Hogan weaves the experiences of a budding singer, the biracial son of the park manager, and performing mermaids as well as a few others into a varied cast of enigmatic characters. With as many characters and perspectives as there are, Hogan could’ve been bogged down with giving each one the growth and development they deserve. Still, she effortlessly entwines carefully, placed nuance into each one.

The narrative jumps back and forth between 1972 and the present day from Imelda and Billie’s perspectives as secrets are revealed throughout the novel. Despite the book focusing on Imelda and Billie’s stories, some of the other eclectic characters from the amusement park share their unique perspectives of the circumstances surrounding the park events of 1972. The varied (and occasionally conflicting) views add humor and nuance to our favorite characters and each of their lives–no matter if they’re a major or minor character.

Given the heavy topics and decades-long secret, you would think “The Moon, The Stars, and Madame Burova” would sucker punch you in the heart, but in the end, it falls short and leaves me wanting so, so much more. The potential was there¬ to leave readers a weeping mess after finishing the novel. If Hogan had 100 more pages to dive into the complexity of the cast’s experiences or even given Imelda and Cillian more time to develop their romance, this would’ve knocked it out of the park.

I had high hopes for ending “The Moon, The Stars, and Madame Burova,” but sometimes we can’t get what we want. A delightful and endearing read, this will leave you yearning for the one who got away.

I adore Ruth Hogan novels - I've read and loved all four. When I pick up one of her stories, I know I'll find:

- quirky and likeable characters
- deep emotions
- a bit of magical mystical otherworldliness

This novel centers around Imelda Burova at two points in her life - in the 1970s as she takes over the family business as "Tarot Reader, Palmist, and Clairvoyant" from her mother and in present time as she considers retirement. It's finally time to reveal big secrets she pledged to keep for decades, secrets that impact Billie, a woman whose life feels unmoored after the death of her second parent. Cryptic letters bring Billie to Madame Burova's world in Brighton where shocking information is revealed about Billie's past. As she seeks answers to significant questions, Billie befriends the members of Madame Burova's found family.

Several dogs are important in this novel as they support characters through challenging times. This is likely a reflection of Ms. Hogan's love of dogs and her grieving the death of her parents while writing this novel. The themes of family and parents are explored from several angles in this story. I enjoyed the occasional tarot card readings included in the novel, even though I'm not sure I believe in them. It's included so sincerely, and the author learned to read tarot cards as research for the book.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the review copy of this charming and touching novel.

Happy pub day to The Moon, The Stars, and Madame Burova! This purple cover caught my eye - thank you to William Morrow for my ARC!

In one sentence: Fresh off a divorce, Billie finds herself at the booth of Madame Burova - does this woman hold the key to the secrets of her past?

I'm a sucker for fiction with connected dual timelines, and that's exactly what we have here. The past timeline in the 1970s shows how a girl named Imelda became Madame Burova - I loved her journey. I also enjoyed the tarot element of the story - seeing Madame Burova give her customers answers and comfort was a highlight. She does the same for Billie in the present timeline. The two timelines came together very well at the end - I felt a little emotional reading it!

If you're looking for a story with a little bit of magic, this is a good one to check out! My one complaint with this story is that there are A LOT of characters. I put the book aside for a few days (life happens) and when I came back, I realized I didn't know who I was reading about! I would suggest reading this one when you have time to devote to it. 3.5 stars!

Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House, Ruth Hogan and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Moon, the Stars and Madame Burova is a dual timeline historical fiction novel set in the 1970s on the shores of Brighton in the UK and the present day in various locations in the UK. The book features a colorful cast of entertainers, including wall of death riders, "mermaids", singers, contortionists, even a fortunetellar, working in a holiday park (resort).

When we first meet Imelda Burova, Tarot reader, palmist, clairvoyant, she is closing her booth on the pier for the last time. After inheriting it from her Romany mother 50 years before, she has decided to retire. But she still has one last obligation to fulfill before she can relax and enjoy her retirement.

Billie is in her mid-forties, divorced, has recently left her job and buried her father, with her mother deceased years before. Billie's seemingly at a crossroads, until a letter arrives in the mail that comes as a complete shock and sends her into Imelda's path.

I had high expectations for The Moon, the Stars and Madame Burova, which is the first book I have read by Ruth Hogan, but I was somewhat disappointed. I enjoy a lot of historical fiction, but this almost borders on a romance novel for me, with Imelda's love affair with a coworker as one of the main themes of the book. The story feels a bit disjointed as the reader tries to figure out what is the point of the novel - the mystery surrounding Billie's parents or Imelda's romantic relationship.

With all that being said, I really enjoyed the characters in the novel. I loved how honest and real Imelda was and I hated Vivienne with a passion. Even all the secondary characters (warning: there are a lot) felt alive and had purpose rather than being flat characters. I loved the seaside setting, it had almost a sort of carnival feel to it. I could picture it in my head. Reading the 1970s entries was definitely one of my favorite parts of the book.

While I enjoyed certain aspects of this book, others left me wanting. I'm somewhere on the middle on this one. Recommended for lovers of: women's fiction, historical fiction, beaches, 1970s, general fiction, dogs, romance and clairvoyance.

FYI: Contains slurs, racism, bullying, sexual identity, sexual assault, child abandonment

Ruth Hogan, author of such books as Queen Malone’s Paradise Hotel and The Keeper of Lost Things, now gives us The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova, a charming story set largely in the seaside tourist community of Brighton, England.

The author divides her narrative between two time periods: the early 1970s when Imelda Burova first takes over her mother’s professional name, Madame Burova, and her fortune telling booth; and the present when Madame Burova retires and is approached by Billie, a middle-aged Londoner who, after her parents’ death, has learned she had been adopted and who believes Madame Burova may be able to help her learn her biological parents’ identity.

Filled with interesting, colorful characters who make up the resort staff of Larkin’s Holiday Park in Brighton or otherwise populate the community, The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova provides a lively, entertaining time as readers learn about British resort life and explore the mystery underlying Hogan’s latest novel.

Although the large supporting cast of characters posed a bit of a problem in the early chapters, I overcame that obstacle by keeping a list of names and brief identifying descriptions. Before long, the characters became familiar and the notes unnecessary. In the end, each character helps bring the story to life and to its conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for the advance reader copy.

This is a sweet book that delves into the mysteries of the Burova family using dual timelines. Ruth Hogan has written some real characters that I felt invested in, especially the '70s timeline. I'm always game for a fortune-telling book, and this family is quite the Romany outfit in England. I was invested in the central mystery at hand, and wasn't disappointed. Shout-out to the borzoi, Dasha - I loved him!
Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

"𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘺, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘐𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴.”

This book is a sweet dual-timeline story spanning from the 1970s to the present day. I loved the story of Madame Imelda Burova, a fortune teller on the Brighton seaside, and her life and impact on those around her. She fell in love, she had some great entertainer friends in the holiday camp, and she kept many secrets. This book surprised me with its delve in to racism experienced by a bi-racial child, a look at what love really means, and what it’s like to help those around us.

"𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴."

Thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Custom House for the copy of this ARC!

You won't be able to help but fall under the spell of Madame Burova, Tarot reader, palmist, clairvoyant and the heart of this wonderful novel.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗡, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗗𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗔 follows two women, Imelda Burova and Billie Marie. In the 1970s, Imelda takes over her mother's fortune-telling business, assuming the title of Madame Burova. Her gift, while special, can also be taxing as she becomes privy not only to her clients' successes and joys but also to their secrets and lies. Fifty years later, she's ready to retire and leave all the drama behind when a promise she made comes back to haunt her.

In present day, Billie has lost both of her parents, her job and her marriage when she makes a discovery that causes her to question who she really is. The person who might be able to provide her answers is none other than Madame Burova.

Told in dual timelines, we follow Imelda's journey and uncover how it intersects with Billie's. I loved the storylines in the 70s when Madame Burova works with a fabulous group of entertainers who Hogan brings vividly to life. Many of them have their own interesting tales and I came to be as invested in them as I was in the main characters. Imelda's parents are also a delight and stole every scene they were in. Throughout both timelines, the author does a great job maintaining the mystery surrounding Billie's past and I didn't see the final twist coming at all.

This uplifting story of family and friendship kept me thoroughly entertained and all of the characters came to feel like friends, but it was Madame Burova who enchanted with her magic.

Thanks to William Morrow, Custom House and NetGalley for a copy to review.

*This book contains slurs for Black, Roma, LGBTQ people, and people with physical disabilities. There is an author's note that addresses the historical bigotry, the research and experts consulted, and the author's own lived and professional experience. See other content notes below.*

A dual timeline historical about a group of hard-working, high-spirited, seaside entertainers in 1970s Brighton (England), the small mysteries of their lives and loves that weren't solved until nearly 50 years later, and the clairvoyant Madame Burova at the center of it all.

As Imelda Burova prepares to retire from 50 years of reading tarot and telling fortunes at her seaside booth, she is filled with both hope and dread — but mostly satisfaction and relief. She has been worthy of the trust of her calling — performing it with integrity, wisdom, and skill — and now she has a final promise to fulfill, a final secret to release, and she can set aside the weight of the past.

Poised for her life's second act, 40-something Billie is shocked to learn that her future is about to be entirely changed by a revelation about her own past... which intersected with Madame Burova's before she was even born...

This is the first I've read by Ruth Hogan and I was delighted by the beautiful and immersive writing, interesting characters, tangled mysteries, and the way she imbues her story with intrigue and a bittersweet weightiness (making it a great book club pick). It was a little slow to come together for me — there's a huge cast of characters and I made the mistake of starting with the audiobook and not getting a grasp on all the names right off the bat — but once it did I sped through it in a single evening. (And the audiobook is excellent, so don't let my temporary lack of concentration and listening skills deter you from it.) I also would've appreciated more development for the Imelda-Cillian relationship. A couple more conversations would've set me up just fine. But overall, this is a sweet and interesting story with some weighty themes and an unflinching, realistic portrayal of growing up in the 70s.



Topics & themes: love, loss, family, friendship, youth, pivotal moments, second acts, secrets, bigotry, oppression, 1970s, adoption (human and pet), legacy, retirement
Content notes: bigotry, racism, slurs (for people who are Black, Roma, LGBTQ, and disabled), internalized racism, schoolyard bullying and assault, MeToo, sexual assault, sudden death from heart attack, sudden death from asthma attack, loss of parents, child abandonment, mistreatment and attempted harm to animals

My thanks to #NetGalley, William Morrow, and Libro.fm for a digital ARC and LRC!