Book Review: The Moon Sisters by Therese Walsh

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The Moon Sisters by Therese Walsh
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Published by Spoken Realms on 09-04-18
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction
Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
Format: Audiobook
Source: Author
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Overal Rating:

After their mother’s probable suicide, Jazz and Olivia Moon struggle to move on with their lives. Olivia, an 18-year-old who can taste words and see sounds, blinds herself by staring at the sun, then decides to walk to the remote setting of her mother's unfinished novel to resuscitate her hopes and dreams. Jazz, 22, plagued by unresolved conflict with her mother and a hidden trove of her unsent letters, takes a job in a funeral home before being forced back into the role of her sister’s keeper.

The sisters’ journey through the wilds of West Virginia, disaster-prone from the start, takes a turn when they meet two train-hoppers with dangerous secrets, and Jazz learns that Olivia holds a dark secret of her own in the form of their mother's final unread letter. Mistrust, resentments and new attachments threaten to tear the two apart, until a final bizarre misadventure forces them to decide what’s really important.

This mesmerizing coming-of-age novel, with its sheen of near-magical realism, is a moving tale of family and the power of stories.

This is the story about two sisters, different as day and night, and how they cope with the tragic death of their mother. This book tells the story about their journey to the Glades, where Olivia is planning to spread her mother’s ashes, which is also an interior journey for them, a journey where they may finally meet.

I absolutely loved this audiobook. It made my heart sign with every scene. I think it’s a hard story, one where one can’t help but identify oneself with several aspects of each of the sisters. The two sisters travel together but the interior journey is quite different for both. Jazz, who is completely disconnected from herself, and Olive, who seems to feel for the both of them. There are also secrets, things that they don’t dare to confess, and things that they hide to protect the other. And all this in the middle of a dysfunctional family with a deceased mother who could have committed suicide and a father that tries to drink himself into oblivion. The characters in this book are real, they breathe, they hurt, and they sometimes make mistakes. I cried for them and rejoiced for them, and now that I’ve finished the book, I dearly missed them. Listening to this book was like becoming part of this particular family, and recognizing myself in many of the traits of the two sisters.

Julia Whelan’s narration was a real pleasure. The subtle southern roll she gave to the two sisters, and their grandmother’s European accent helped in making the characters real. She transmitted the two girls emotions so well that it caught my breath more than once. There were scenes with four characters, and Whelan did an amazing job at giving each of the characters a distinct voice and style, so it was always crystal clear who was talking. If I close my eyes I can recall the six different voices that Julia displayed in this audiobook. It was not my first time listening to Julia Whelan so I already knew this was going to be excellent.

I have the feeling that this is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. It’s about love, about grief, and loss, but above all, it’s a story about personal growth and overcoming self-inflicted obstacles. I want to recommend it to everyone!

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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