This author is much loved by patrons of our library - they are excited to read this book!

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this Arc.

The Duke, Sallie and the Bonds are like my grandpa's stories come to life! Every small town in that era seemed to have them. The man who maybe didn't run the town - but to whom everyone looked. The troublemakers were always there and the troubled girl - just trying to find a way!

I totally enjoyed this book. A historical fiction that seems all to real!

This was the first book I have read from this author and I wasn't sure what to expect going in other than the premise. I can honestly say I was not extremely impressed by this book. I could not really get into this story much as I felt like the characters were very superficial. Sallie was supposed to be different than other around her, however it was more because this was found within the book every few pages than that she really demonstrated this. I did like the historical part about the prohibition and found this to be interesting. The pacing of the story felt very off and the story was just forced as opposed to just flowing. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley. I would like to read another book from this author as I have heard great things about Glass Castle.

I’ve read 2 of Jeannette Walls’s books and I absolutely loved them so I was excited to receive this book from NetGalley. I went into this book with high expectations and I was not disappointed. The author transports you back in time to the turn of the century and later the prohibition era and you feel and see the world so vividly. The characters are so clearly defined and yet so complex. The story is engaging. I loved Sallie and I’m sad this book ended.

I devoured Wells’ The Glass Castle and was hoping for the same with Hang The Moon but was a bit disappointed with the many plot points and many characters. The historical prohibition era is interesting and Sallie is a strong, female character..

Duke Kincaid has ruled the county for as long as most people can remember. Sallie Kincaid is the Duke's daughter from his second wife Ann, who died after a violent argument with the Duke. At age 17, Sallie begins working for Duke, driving around the county collecting rents and other debts, often accepting homemade whiskey in payment. When the Duke dies suddenly, other family members take over his business interests and begin making and selling illegal liquor, transporting it to urban centers in Virginia, even though it is prohibited by law. As she observes the marriages around her, Sallie vows she will never marry and fights for her rightful place in the Duke's kingdom, while learning about the meaning of family, whether it's the one we're born with or the one we create for ourselves.

I loved Walls' memoir The Glass Castle so I was looking forward to her latest book. This is a historical novel set in rural Virginia about the early days of bootlegging during Prohibition, about tangled family relationships and women who not only survive but triumph. Even though the novel is set in Virginia, I kept tripping over the Tudors. The Duke's real name is Henry, he was married four times (Belle, Ann, Jane, Katherine); he divorced his first wife, killed his second wife, his third wife died, and his last wife survived him. Duke even had an affair with Ann's sister, just like Henry VIII did with Mary Boleyn, Anne's sister. Duke's children are Mary, Sallie, and Edward - Edward dies young, Mary dies of a tumor after believing she is pregnant, and Sallie takes over, determined to stay single and not to have a man ruling over her. And there's a lot more Tudor parallels. Very enjoyable read, would be good for book clubs since there is a lot to discuss.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Thank you Scribner for the copy of Jeanette Walls Hang the Moon (I also listened to some of the audiobook as it is narrated by the author and I valued that voice as I read, I acknowledge the ALC program from Libro.FM for that review copy). Jeanette Walls, who mesmerized me with an honest examination of a complex childhood and ongoing complex relationship with her parents as an adult in her memoir The Glass Castle. In this novel Ms. Walls brings readers back to similar themes that resonate: hardship, family struggles, poverty, Applachian life themes, and always resilience and hope (without discounting or downplaying hardship and challenges). What I value in her work is the focus on relationships, context, and geographic and family culture as important influences that shape Sallie's life (MC). Sallie manages a optimistic joyful spirit as she comes of age, desiring to return to her family (she was cast out in the beginning of the novel, that's not a spoiler I promise) and must reconcile her return home with her past memories, her hopes for what returning home would feel like with the reality of secrets and challenges around her.
This is a highly engaging read, one that honors the places and voices that Ms. Walls knows, and offers fans another strong read and invites new to the author readers into her vibrant style. This will be a great book for many book clubs.

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father’s daughter, sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is his mother’s son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out.

Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.

I absolutely devoured this. Sallie’s spirit, her personality, and everything about her was admirable. I am such a giant fan of Jeannette’s going back to when The Glass Castle was published so long ago. If you haven’t read The Glass Castle, go get it immediately!

March 28

Another wonderful book by Jeannette Wells. I like the various characters as well as the main protagonist Sallie. It can be a little hard to read at times, with one tragedy after another happening to her, but her strength is compelling and keeps me reading. This book is great for people who enjoy historical fiction and strong female characters.

While this wasn't my favorite novel by this author, it was engaging throughout. I did find the story wasn't exactly plausible at times but it did still hold my interest. It focuses on a family during prohibition and like The Glass Castle, there are times where I just couldn't believe what I was reading (although it didn't make it any less true.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: I've been a fan of Walls from her previous books. This is well written historical fiction about a young woman in rural Virginia during Prohibition. As other reviewers have mentioned, Walls packs a lot of drama into this book--and it did somewhat detract from character development, but she tells a compelling story. There's a tangled web of family connections, inheritance, illness, accidents and fights. But Walls does create a sense of place and the protagonist is well developed. Not her best, but good, readable, compelling historical fiction.

This is a rather convoluted story about the Kincaids ... the ruling clan of (fictional) Claiborne County, Virginia. Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of Duke Kincaid, and much of the drama centers around the family’s involvement in the moonshine industry during the first years of Prohibition.

Walls’ first book was a memoir (Glass Castles) where the member of her family (and particularly the children) never really seemed to understand the degree to which the family was dysfunctional. [Note: If you have not read the book, you must.]

The Kincaids are wildly dysfunctional. It is difficult to provide a succinct description of the plot as there are twists and turns, and any description is likely to contain a spoiler. If you happen to be familiar with House of Tudor, you can find some marvelous connections.

It may not be great literature, I guess, but Sallie Kincaid is a wonderful, dynamic character, and the novel makes for some good reading.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

An enjoyable read, well written. Sallie is always reaching and pushing for a more stable and better life for her and those around her.

4☆

Jeannette Wall’s newest novel Hang The Moon doesn’t disappoint. Sallie Kincade grew up worshipping her family “The Duke” who ran the county thanks to his whiskey distribution. However, Sallie was cast off after an incident involving her half brother and stepmother. Sallie returns to help care for her brother after his mother dies and that’s where the story truely begins. Family feuds, power struggles, poor behavior by the men of the county and so much more.
I really enjoyed this story and Sallie however at times it seems it veers off on unnecessary subplots. Otherwise, I would have given it 5 stars. I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy for my honest review.

I give this book between a 3.5 and 4 star rating. The Glass Castle absolutely changed my life, so I was very excited to read this book. This is the first fiction book I've read of her's and it did not disappoint! At first, I wasn't really connecting to it, but then all of a sudden, I completely devoured the book and read it all in one sitting! It was very fast-paced, had so many twist and turns, and really keeps you on your toes. I found myself gravitating toward the dialogue though, and skimming over some descriptions, which is why I give it this rating.

I was so excited to read Hang the Moon by Jeanette Walls (author of the Glass Castle) and I was not disappointed! This book completely immersed me in the story and I felt really invested.

It follows Sallie Kincaid who is the daughter of the Duke, a man who runs a large bootlegging empire and runs the town they live in. Tragedy after tragedy unfolds throughout the book and you see Sallie grow up and learn how to be in charge.

I enjoyed the character of Sallie and I felt like the author did a good job or portraying the setting and time. It was well written and I enjoyed the story.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review

I was disappointed by the twisted and convoluted story lines and the predictable conclusion. I guess I expected more from the author of Glass Castle. On the other hand, it is an easy book to read on vacation, which is exactly what I did, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Very big fan of this author and I felt this new novel to be compelling with an interesting storyline, but this novel is not in the same realm as the author’s previous work.

Sallie Kincaid tried to be the son her father wanted, but in 1920s Virginia it was never going to work. In a huge family enterprise, full of secrets and jealousy, she navigates a terrain of bootlegging and lies. This story takes up tenderly the social and economic hardships of rural Appalachia and provides a view of the introduction of the automobile and the freedom it provided to the women who could drive one.

For lovers of family dynasty sagas this tale set in the Blue Ridge mountains will be memorable for its strong characterization, engrossing family secrets, and plain-spoken, courageous main character.

Hang the Moon by Jeanette Walls, is a story set in times when men "wore the pants" and ran things, but Sallie Kinkaid didn't let that stop her from taking over her father's family business. While not a happily ever after kind of story, Hang the Moon is one of change and perseverance. You'll find yourself cheering Sallie on as she suffers the consequences of standing up to her adversaries.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.