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The Half Moon cover art

The Half Moon

By: Mary Beth Keane
Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Nobert Leo Butz
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

There are two sides to every story - and every marriage in crisis . . .

Malcolm, bartender at the Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar, and when his boss finally retires, he seizes his chance. He sees unquantifiable magic and potential in the Half Moon and hopes to make it a bigger success.

His wife, Jess, has devoted herself to her law career, but after years of trying for a baby, she's struggling to accept the idea that motherhood might not be in her future. She finds herself slipping away from both her career and her marriage. The bar is Malcolm's dream, and as she feels her youth start to fade, she wonders how to reshape her own life.

When a blizzard hits their upstate New York town on the same day that Malcolm learns some shocking news about Jess, and a regular at the bar goes missing, everyone is frozen in place for a single, pivotal week. In The Half Moon, award-winning author Mary Beth Keane carefully explores a marriage in crisis, what it takes to make a life with another person, and the true meaning of family.

One tumultuous week. One marriage in crisis. One chance to begin again...

©2023 Mary Beth Keane (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Mary Beth Keane writes to the heart of the human heart. She shows us how love can deepen, how love can stall - hang in the sky like a half moon, waxing and waning in the same moment, equal parts shadow and light. I could not put this book down." (Miranda Cowley-Heller, author of Sunday Times bestseller The Paper Palace)

"I fell in love with The Half Moon from the first page, and barely looked up until I'd finished. Mary Beth Keane has written another brilliantly absorbing novel about complicated marriages and family dynamics - how they shape us, yes, but how they undo us as well. Prepare to lose yourself in this book." (Sara Collins, bestselling author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton)

"Mary Beth Keane is one of our finest writers on the interior complexities of marriage and family. She shines a flashlight on the intricate clockwork of love and longing that runs inside us; and because of the thoughtfulness of that examination, beauty and possibility are visible. I ran my finger over sentences while reading, thinking: Yes, exactly. This kind of fiction recognizes us, and allows us to look around our own lives with respect and kindness, and is therefore a great gift." (Ann Napolitano, author of New York Times bestseller Dear Edward)

What listeners say about The Half Moon

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

It was okay but not great

I found it a bit slow and wasn’t sure for a long time whether it was supposed to be about the relationship or about the missing person. I also found it confusing at times because the story jumped back and forth between different points in time and there was no clear segregation so I was often questioning whether we were still in the past or back in the present. But I finished it and it was fine.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Couldn’t stop listening

What a beautiful story about love and all the challenges that life throws your way. I couldn’t stop listening when I started and felt fully invested in the characters and the fate of the half moon. 5 stars!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Lovely story

Life & that one love that takes hold & won’t let go
Beautiful story
Loved the narration.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The best story I ever read

Its all in the review title,simply THE best story I ever read. Sublime.This lady is the most wonderful writer and storyteller.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Self absorbed characters and no plot

Self absorbed characters,no real plot . Although this was not a long book I took me ages to finish as there was no pace. Wish I hadn’t bothered.

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