Description

Everyone in Phoebe Ferris’s life tells a different version of the truth.

Her mother, Meg, ex-rock star and professional question evader, shares only the end of the story—the post-fame calm that Phoebe’s always known. Her sister Luna, indie rock darling of Brooklyn, preaches a stormy truth of her own making, selectively ignoring the facts she doesn’t like. And her father, Kieran, the co-founder of Meg’s beloved band, hasn’t said anything at all since he stopped calling three years ago.

But Phoebe, a budding poet in search of an identity to call her own, is tired of half-truths and vague explanations. When she visits Luna in New York, she’s determined to find out how she fits in to this family of storytellers, and maybe even to continue her own tale—the one with the musician boy she’s been secretly writing for months.

This soul-searching, authentic debut weaves together Phoebe’s story with scenes from the romance between Meg and Kieran that started it all—leaving behind a heartfelt reflection on family, fame, and finding your own way.

About the author(s)

Janet McNally is the author of the novels The Looking Glass and Girls in the Moon, as well as a prizewinning collection of poems, Some Girls. She has an MFA from the University of Notre Dame, and her stories and poems have been published widely in magazines. She has twice been a fiction fellow with the New York Foundation for the Arts. Janet lives in Buffalo, New York, with her husband and three little girls, in a house full of records and books, and teaches creative writing at Canisius College. You can visit her online at www.janetmmcnally.com.

 

Reviews

“McNally is a polished storyteller, her prose alive with vivid descriptions, the excitement of romance, and an artist’s yearning to create.” — Publishers Weekly

“Girls in the Moon is a beautiful, heartfelt novel about following your own path and finding your voice. Janet McNally’s stunning debut is a lush, lyrical paean to mothers, daughters, sisters, and the music that weaves them together.” — Kathleen Glasgow, author of Girl in Pieces

“In her luminous prose, Janet McNally renders the moments—quiet and loud, in the spotlight and in the dark—that shape us and wound us and make us fully human.” — Nina LaCour, award-winning author of Everything Leads to You

“A powerful story of secrets, sisters, mothers and daughters-of a family fractured and pieced back together across time, with love, pain, passion, and music. GIRLS IN THE MOON will stay with you like a song you can’t get out of your mind.” — Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be

“With lush, lyrical prose and nuanced storytelling, Girls in the Moon is a gorgeous coming-of-age story that sings of sisterhood, secrets, and the ties that both bind and bond us.” — Jessi Kirby, author of Things We Know by Heart

“Laced through with drumbeats and heartbeats, GIRLS IN THE MOON is pure indie rock and even purer poetry. A luminous story of love, art, yearning, and connection.” — Jeff Zentner, author of The Serpent King

“Sophisticated, dreamy, and gorgeously written, Girls in the Moon is like spending a summer night reminiscing with old friends.” — Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl From Everywhere

“McNally’s first novel shows an appreciation of poetic phrasing, as well as plenty of musical references. Recommend this introspective novel to readers who enjoy stories about music and musicians.” — Booklist

“Narrator Phoebe excels at capturing a moment’s emotional nuances... her reflections on independence and acceptance of people’s flaws are genuine. Understated but astute narration makes this family snapshot a worthy read.” — Kirkus Reviews

“[McNally] employs lyrics and poetry to great effect, while her rich musical knowledge propels this realistic novel to its hopeful conclusion.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“McNally crafts a compulsively readable family narrative that revolves around the kind of celebrities people wonder about.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Set against the backdrop of a soulful, hipster New York summer, this coming-of-age novel features relatable heroes with good hearts… Perfect for fans of Gayle Forman’s If I Stay.“ — School Library Journal

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