Man in the Blue Moon
Nov 1, 2012
Author: Michael Morris
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (August 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414368429
ISBN-13: 978-1414368429
Book Description:
“He’s a gambler at best. A con artist at worst,” her aunt had said of the handlebar-mustached man who snatched Ella Wallace away from her dreams of studying art in France. Eighteen years later, that man has disappeared, leaving Ella alone and struggling to support her three sons. While the world is embroiled in World War I, Ella fights her own personal battle to keep the mystical Florida land that has been in her family for generations from the hands of an unscrupulous banker. When a mysterious man arrives at Ella’s door in an unconventional way, he convinces her he can help her avoid foreclosure, and a tenuous trust begins. But as the fight for Ella’s land intensifies, it becomes evident that things are not as they appear. Hypocrisy and murder soon shake the coastal town of Apalachicola and jeopardize Ella’s family.
Idgie Says:
This book has it all - shoot outs, mysterious healings, small town gossip, greed, fornication, and of course......love. It also has the Southern characters and the depictions of the South itself firmly in it's grasp. I could "see" the town, the people, the expressions on their faces and the twitching of their fingers as I turned the pages.
These are fully colored in characters. There's no abstract edges to the people in this book. You know instantly if you like,loathe or feel compassion for the character. This book simply screams Southern with it's descriptions and storytelling.
The book description above says murder takes place - I would describe it more as the shootout at the OK Corral. Totally unexpected, completely engaging and with a surprise savior to the rescue. The Southern gossiping biddies are spot on with their actions and rumor-mongering. When the flu comes to the South and begins to slowly tear apart entire communities, it is stomach turning with realism. There's no pretty glossing over of the events here.
One thing that makes this book very interesting to me is the fact that Michael pulled from his own family history and events to create this book. So while it definitely is fiction, quite a bit of it is based on actual happenings. For instance, a man in a box actually did show up on his family farm and work for months before disappearing again before Michael was born. Now that just had to be turned into a story!
Learn more about the story HERE.
This book is a November 2012 SheReads.org review book pick. Please go there to read all the many reviews that will be popping up for this book.
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Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com
