The Half Moon, Mary Beth Keane
The Half Moon, Mary Beth Keane
1 Rating(s)
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The Half Moon

Author: Mary Beth Keane

Narrator: Norbert Leo Butz, Rebecca Lowman

Unabridged: 10 hr 23 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/02/2023


Synopsis

“An insightful, riveting study of marriage.” —People

From the bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes, a masterful and “absorbing” (The New York Times) novel about a couple in a small town navigating the complexities of marriage, family, and longing.

Malcolm Gephardt, handsome and gregarious longtime bartender at the Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar. When his boss finally retires, Malcolm stretches to buy the place. He sees unquantifiable magic and potential in the Half Moon and hopes to transform it into a bigger success, but struggles to stay afloat.

His smart and confident wife, Jess, has devoted herself to her law career. After years of trying for a baby, she is facing the idea that motherhood may not be in the cards for her. Like Malcolm, she feels her youth beginning to slip away and wonders how to reshape her future.

“A quick and impactful read that will stay with you long after you finish it” (theSkimm), The Half Moon 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. 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.

About Mary Beth Keane

Mary Beth Keane attended Barnard College and the University of Virginia, where she received an MFA. She was awarded a John S. Guggenheim fellowship for fiction writing, and has received citations from the National Book Foundation, PEN America, and the Hemingway Society. She is the author of The Walking PeopleFever, and Ask Again, Yes—New York Times bestseller and a Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Summer Reads Pick. Ask Again, Yes has been sold in twenty-two languages. She lives in New York with her family.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nilufer on July 22, 2023

This heart-wrenching and genuine story grips your heart and refuses to let go, weaving its way into the depths of your emotions. It provokes introspection, forcing you to reflect on your own life choices and contemplate the profound questions it raises. It pushes you to embrace your fears, confront......more

Goodreads review by Lisa of Troy on October 27, 2023

This story doesn’t make any sense. If you purchase a business, I am not sure how you cannot have a lawyer. You would need someone to incorporate for you, get all of your licenses, and you would also need someone to do your taxes for you, especially your sales tax and payroll deductions. Who manages y......more

Goodreads review by Dez the Bookworm on January 20, 2025

This is a slow burn spousal drama, the whole way through… This story takes place over the course of a week, is dual perspective between the husband and wife, and frequently falls into large sections of past memories of what happened in their lives along the way. Malcom finally owns the bar he’s dream......more

Goodreads review by emma on May 31, 2023

mary beth keane is the shakespeare of irish-american family dramas. this was one book in a lineup of lit fic exploring motherhood i've accidentally been picking up, one after the other, and still i enjoyed it and it stood out. which is saying a lot because i can't stress enough: i spent an entire mont......more

2 Stars Oooof. 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. Malcom and Jess were beyond crisis. They were leading - and had always led, in my opinion - very separate lives. They were also extremely immatu......more