The book goes back and forth throughout Malcolm and Jess's marriage, so you get the full depth of what happened and how their marriage fell apart. In the midst of a raging blizzard, a mysterious disappearance sends shockwaves through their already fragile existence. And when their dreams prove difficult to obtain, their relationship cracks, forcing them to q The experience of reading Mary Beth Keane’s absorbing new novel, The Half Moon, feels — pleasantly — like breathing, or maybe just living . There’s an interesting side story which didn’t really add anything to the main plot but still worked in its own weird way.

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That’s the question that Malcolm and Jess Gephardt both face after years of marriage in Mary Beth Keane’s engrossing fourth novel. Her perceptive, generous observations and attention to her characters’ inner lives make for a book that is much, much more than the sum of its characters. Award-winning author Mary Beth Keane’s new novel takes place over the course of one week when Malcolm learns shocking news about Jess, a patron of the bar goes missing, and a blizzard hits the town of Gillam, trapping everyone in place.

The Half Moon: A Novel - Mary Beth Keane - Google Books The Half Moon: A Novel - Mary Beth Keane - Google Books

Some couples find their way through their disappointments together and others must find their way, apart. As I cozied up beside the fire, they invited me into their small-town bar and into the shambles of their marriage during an impending snowstorm. Since the early 60's The Half Moon has been earning the respect of London's gig-goers, putting on unforgettable live shows in Putney every night of the week! There are several surprises as the storyline wanders and begins to feel like a story within a story, but it always travels back to Malcolm and Jess's marriage. After reading The Half Moon, I've come to realize that it isn't just the characters: Keane's storytelling is simply too slow and meandering for me.It’s a character-driven story of a crumbling marriage where the husband and the wife have both made mistakes. he a bar owner, she a lawyer…problems with the debt of keeping up a rundown bar, student loans and also of many rounds of intervention because of miscarriages and infertility problems for Jess they are both maxed out… other avenues open up for Jess that threaten to end their marriage.

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane | Waterstones

A strong character-driven novel, there is no propulsive plot to keep you flipping the pages quickly. They both delivered subtle performances, which lacked unnecessary drama and over emoting, allowing the characters natures to shine through unimpeded. The ending was nice and tidy and while it felt a little tiny bit rushed considering how moved I was from the start, I ended up appreciating what the author did with this one.

With a deft eye and generous spirit, Mary Beth Keane explores the disappointments and unexpected consolations of midlife, the many forms forgiveness can take, the complicated intimacy of small-town living, and what it means to be a family. I would have rather spent time getting to know the plethora of characters who were randomly mentioned every now and again, but were little more than character names on a page to me.

The Half Moon | Iconic music venue and great pub in Putney The Half Moon | Iconic music venue and great pub in Putney

This book was about a marriage in crisis, which is one of my favorite contemporary fiction topics de jour; however, this didn't do it for me. With all that success, it was a no-brainer that Keane would soon begin work on her next novel, one that hopefully would be just as strong and well received as its predecessor. But suffice it to say that the logistics of the plot are secondary: Malcolm and Jess provide the real momentum behind this novel.I think when you’re young, you think, ‘Love is enough,’ but after a while, love is really not enough,” Keane says. That track was relevant just to a minimal degree, and the book would have worked better without that distraction. Kindly read other reviews before you make up your mind about this title because for me, this book stands as ‘Not recommended’, and as we all know, no two readers read the same book.