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Hang the Moon
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2023)
From Jeannette Walls, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle, comes a riveting new novel about an indomitable young woman in Virginia during Prohibition.
Most folk thought Sallie Kincaid was a nobody who’d amount to nothing. Sallie had other plans.
Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father’s daughter, sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is his mother’s son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out.
Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.
You will fall in love with Sallie Kincaid, a feisty and fearless, terrified and damaged young woman who refuses to be corralled.
Most folk thought Sallie Kincaid was a nobody who’d amount to nothing. Sallie had other plans.
Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie remembers little about her mother who died in a violent argument with the Duke. By the time she is just eight years old, the Duke has remarried and had a son, Eddie. While Sallie is her father’s daughter, sharp-witted and resourceful, Eddie is his mother’s son, timid and cerebral. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out.
Nine years later, she returns, determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger.
You will fall in love with Sallie Kincaid, a feisty and fearless, terrified and damaged young woman who refuses to be corralled.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2023
About the author
Jeannette Walls
16 books10.9k followersJeannette Walls is a writer and journalist.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, she graduated with honors from Barnard College, the women's college affiliated with Columbia University. She published a bestselling memoir, The Glass Castle, in 2005. The book was adapted into a film and released to theaters in August, 2017.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, she graduated with honors from Barnard College, the women's college affiliated with Columbia University. She published a bestselling memoir, The Glass Castle, in 2005. The book was adapted into a film and released to theaters in August, 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,406 reviews
October 24, 2023
My first book club ever discussed The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
And Walls told a story that was locked in my heart. She struck a chord in me. It was the first time that I felt seen by an author.
When I picked up Hang the Moon, my expectations were admittedly sky high.
Hang the Moon is a historical fiction set in the Southern United States centering on a young woman, Sallie Kincaid, the daughter of the richest man in town.
Walls is incredibly adept at writing complicated, grey characters and familial dysfunction. Hang the Moon has many different twists although it overly relies on deaths and elopements, eyerollingly so at times.
Hang the Moon also focuses on social justice issues particularly the vulnerability of women in society.
Although the book is highly entertaining and worthy of a read, the ending is lackluster, almost cliché, unmemorable, and a few of the character threads were not evenly balanced. For example, Grace was dropped from the story until the very end, even when her presence would have made sense.
Hang the Moon is a highly enjoyable adventure - weaving in important social themes, authentic relationships, and strong female characters.
*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.
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And Walls told a story that was locked in my heart. She struck a chord in me. It was the first time that I felt seen by an author.
When I picked up Hang the Moon, my expectations were admittedly sky high.
Hang the Moon is a historical fiction set in the Southern United States centering on a young woman, Sallie Kincaid, the daughter of the richest man in town.
Walls is incredibly adept at writing complicated, grey characters and familial dysfunction. Hang the Moon has many different twists although it overly relies on deaths and elopements, eyerollingly so at times.
Hang the Moon also focuses on social justice issues particularly the vulnerability of women in society.
Although the book is highly entertaining and worthy of a read, the ending is lackluster, almost cliché, unmemorable, and a few of the character threads were not evenly balanced. For example, Grace was dropped from the story until the very end, even when her presence would have made sense.
Hang the Moon is a highly enjoyable adventure - weaving in important social themes, authentic relationships, and strong female characters.
*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.
Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta
March 4, 2023
The most convoluted plot I’ve ever read. An incredible amount of rapid fire events that just kept on coming and zerooooo depth. Like, zero what was the point of this book?
This book was a huge letdown.
This book was a huge letdown.
March 4, 2023
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Jeannette Walls is one of my favourite authors, my daughter-in-law introduced me to her in 2007 when she gave me The Glass Castle and I have read everything she has written since. Hang the Moon takes place in the prohibition era of East Appalachia Virgina. I love southern historical fiction and Walls does not disappoint. I liked how the author was inspired by the history of Henry VIII and his many wives and children. I had that figured out long before I read the acknowledgements. You can tell the book was well-researched.
I can’t remember being drawn into such a sad, desperate atmosphere of a book as I have with this one. It’s a heartbreaking storyline. Also, I can’t remember wanting so much for there to be some happiness for the characters and I don’t mean fairytale endings.
Beautiful, literate writing, well-drawn, believable characters. Just a touch of black humour and a book that haunts the thoughts, long after reading. The setting was easy to imagine, Walls's writing was very atmospheric, and the characters, especially Sallie, will be hard to forget. In fact, the writing, characters and plot were all top-notch. All. The. Stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
Jeannette Walls is one of my favourite authors, my daughter-in-law introduced me to her in 2007 when she gave me The Glass Castle and I have read everything she has written since. Hang the Moon takes place in the prohibition era of East Appalachia Virgina. I love southern historical fiction and Walls does not disappoint. I liked how the author was inspired by the history of Henry VIII and his many wives and children. I had that figured out long before I read the acknowledgements. You can tell the book was well-researched.
I can’t remember being drawn into such a sad, desperate atmosphere of a book as I have with this one. It’s a heartbreaking storyline. Also, I can’t remember wanting so much for there to be some happiness for the characters and I don’t mean fairytale endings.
Beautiful, literate writing, well-drawn, believable characters. Just a touch of black humour and a book that haunts the thoughts, long after reading. The setting was easy to imagine, Walls's writing was very atmospheric, and the characters, especially Sallie, will be hard to forget. In fact, the writing, characters and plot were all top-notch. All. The. Stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
June 10, 2023
Wow!! 5++ stars! Highly recommend!
Hang the Moon, by author Jeannette Walls who also wrote The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses is a book that I couldn't put down. I read it until late at night and then awoke at 4:00 am to finish reading it. Fast-paced generational family drama with death, accidents, bootlegging, philandering, and renegade style justice.
The setting is rural Prohibition-era Virginia and the Kincaid family rules the small town where plenty of family secrets are never discussed. Sallie Kincaid is the main character. She was sent to live with her aunt for nine years and then returns to her hometown at age 18. Life as Sallie knows it unravels and changes dramatically with intense frequency. Sallie is head strong, courageous, and determined to live life on her own terms.
Highly recommend!
Hang the Moon, by author Jeannette Walls who also wrote The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses is a book that I couldn't put down. I read it until late at night and then awoke at 4:00 am to finish reading it. Fast-paced generational family drama with death, accidents, bootlegging, philandering, and renegade style justice.
The setting is rural Prohibition-era Virginia and the Kincaid family rules the small town where plenty of family secrets are never discussed. Sallie Kincaid is the main character. She was sent to live with her aunt for nine years and then returns to her hometown at age 18. Life as Sallie knows it unravels and changes dramatically with intense frequency. Sallie is head strong, courageous, and determined to live life on her own terms.
Highly recommend!
May 24, 2023
2.5 stars
I’ve only heard good things about Jeannette Walls and her memoir, The Glass Castle. Which makes it unfortunate that I don’t have much good to say about Hang the Moon, her latest novel.
Set in Virginia during the years of Prohibition, Hang the Moon is the coming-of-age tale of Sallie Kincaid. Sallie is the daughter of Duke Kincaid, the man in charge of Claiborne County, and she has just returned to town after being sent away to live with her aunt. Sallie must fight her way back into the family, though, being the subject of gossip and old scandal, but she eventually does so as a gun-toting bootlegger.
The short and (not so) sweet of it is this: nothing in the story is developed. The characters are flat, as flat as the paper they’re written on, and the plot is comprised solely of a series of quick events, one right after the other, with some turns of the story even seeming downright silly. There’s no character growth, no emotion, no tension, no … a lot of things.
In her acknowledgments, Walls alludes that King Henry VIII and his wives and children were the initial inspiration for the novel. And while knowing this does make some of the more ridiculous plot points easier to accept, I still can’t ignore the other flaws of the novel.
There’s too many.
I’ve only heard good things about Jeannette Walls and her memoir, The Glass Castle. Which makes it unfortunate that I don’t have much good to say about Hang the Moon, her latest novel.
Set in Virginia during the years of Prohibition, Hang the Moon is the coming-of-age tale of Sallie Kincaid. Sallie is the daughter of Duke Kincaid, the man in charge of Claiborne County, and she has just returned to town after being sent away to live with her aunt. Sallie must fight her way back into the family, though, being the subject of gossip and old scandal, but she eventually does so as a gun-toting bootlegger.
The short and (not so) sweet of it is this: nothing in the story is developed. The characters are flat, as flat as the paper they’re written on, and the plot is comprised solely of a series of quick events, one right after the other, with some turns of the story even seeming downright silly. There’s no character growth, no emotion, no tension, no … a lot of things.
In her acknowledgments, Walls alludes that King Henry VIII and his wives and children were the initial inspiration for the novel. And while knowing this does make some of the more ridiculous plot points easier to accept, I still can’t ignore the other flaws of the novel.
There’s too many.
March 25, 2023
Back when I was little, with Mama gone, I did my darnedest to believe my daddy hung the moon and scattered the stars. That meant there were many tings I didn't want to see. I've been doing pretty much the same danged thing my whole life.
Watch out world! Here comes Sallie Kincaid, the queen of the Kincaid Rumrunners of Clairborne County, VA. No wonder they called this time the Roaring Twenties. Set in the time of Prohibition, Jeannette Walls weaves a tale of a family that "does what needs to be done." I fell in love with this author's writing when I read her memoir The Glass Castle and this book shows her gift for writing mesmerizing fiction. While Sallie is embroiled in a feud with the Bond family, she also is dealing with secrets and betrayal among her own. Can she find a way forward without becoming hard like her daddy, the Duke? He used people up and tossed them aside. Perhaps her mother's moonstone necklace will help provide an answer.
Thank you to Scribner and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Watch out world! Here comes Sallie Kincaid, the queen of the Kincaid Rumrunners of Clairborne County, VA. No wonder they called this time the Roaring Twenties. Set in the time of Prohibition, Jeannette Walls weaves a tale of a family that "does what needs to be done." I fell in love with this author's writing when I read her memoir The Glass Castle and this book shows her gift for writing mesmerizing fiction. While Sallie is embroiled in a feud with the Bond family, she also is dealing with secrets and betrayal among her own. Can she find a way forward without becoming hard like her daddy, the Duke? He used people up and tossed them aside. Perhaps her mother's moonstone necklace will help provide an answer.
Thank you to Scribner and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2023
"Women these days are doing all kinds of things---"
This is a perfectly serviceable novel. It offers drama and intrigue, tragedy and humor, thrills and sentimental feelings. And, who doesn't love a story about strong female characters who can kick ass when the chips are down? Book clubs will probably love it.
But . . .
It all felt familiar. Too familiar. Though the addition of the moonshine war was a unique touch, I feel like I've read this book dozens of times. Plucky Gal takes on the world and wins. Yadda, yadda, yadda. This is certainly not a bad book by any means. It just needed some spark to really bring it to life, and set it apart from the dozens of similarly themed books out there. I suspect many will love this one. I just wasn't one of them.
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the chance to read this.
This is a perfectly serviceable novel. It offers drama and intrigue, tragedy and humor, thrills and sentimental feelings. And, who doesn't love a story about strong female characters who can kick ass when the chips are down? Book clubs will probably love it.
But . . .
It all felt familiar. Too familiar. Though the addition of the moonshine war was a unique touch, I feel like I've read this book dozens of times. Plucky Gal takes on the world and wins. Yadda, yadda, yadda. This is certainly not a bad book by any means. It just needed some spark to really bring it to life, and set it apart from the dozens of similarly themed books out there. I suspect many will love this one. I just wasn't one of them.
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the chance to read this.
December 30, 2022
2.5…….but like, why did one million absurd things happen in the span of 300 pages
April 29, 2023
“Some say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but that isn’t always so. Many a time, what doesn’t kill you leaves you broken and crippled, unable to fight the next fight, or sometimes it leaves a wound in your heart so deep and ugly that it never truly heals, leaves you bitter and angry, unable to forgive the world for its cruelty.”
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls, was a book I was truly looking forward to. I mean, I think half of the world loves her first book, The Glass Castle. This book did not disappoint either. In this historical fiction tale, we get to meet Sallie Kincaid. We live through the Prohibition era, and we also see how deep family dysfunction can run.
At eight years old, Sallie is sent away by her father, the Duke, to go and live with her Aunt Faye. Sallie does not return home until nine years later. She is able to finally return home because her stepmother is gone, so the Duke welcomes her back (that’s when I had my problem with the Duke right there). Sallie’s own mother died when she was three years old. Most people in town don’t like Sallie too much because of her mother- they say she is just like her…
After many unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, Sallie is left in charge of the Duke’s business. Little does she know there was a lot of bootlegging going on. There’s gunfights, racism, poverty, infidelity, and many injustices taking place during this time in her county.
Along the way, we learn about Sallie’s family (the dysfunction of it). We also learn why she doesn’t want to get married. Is she too independent? Is it because she’s not ready? Is it because she’s learned at a young age not to trust?
There were lots of deep parts in this book that became hard to read at times. My heart broke for Sallie and her siblings. Her entire family was fighting a battle both internally and externally.
Anyone who is familiar with family dysfunction might relate to this book more than others. Also, anyone who is familiar with the Prohibition era may enjoy this book as well. I definitely recommend this book because I enjoyed it, and well, it is Jeannette Walls.
“There are two kinds of family, those you’re born into and those you put together from pieces that don’t go anywhere else, and this is one of those families.”
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls, was a book I was truly looking forward to. I mean, I think half of the world loves her first book, The Glass Castle. This book did not disappoint either. In this historical fiction tale, we get to meet Sallie Kincaid. We live through the Prohibition era, and we also see how deep family dysfunction can run.
At eight years old, Sallie is sent away by her father, the Duke, to go and live with her Aunt Faye. Sallie does not return home until nine years later. She is able to finally return home because her stepmother is gone, so the Duke welcomes her back (that’s when I had my problem with the Duke right there). Sallie’s own mother died when she was three years old. Most people in town don’t like Sallie too much because of her mother- they say she is just like her…
After many unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, Sallie is left in charge of the Duke’s business. Little does she know there was a lot of bootlegging going on. There’s gunfights, racism, poverty, infidelity, and many injustices taking place during this time in her county.
Along the way, we learn about Sallie’s family (the dysfunction of it). We also learn why she doesn’t want to get married. Is she too independent? Is it because she’s not ready? Is it because she’s learned at a young age not to trust?
There were lots of deep parts in this book that became hard to read at times. My heart broke for Sallie and her siblings. Her entire family was fighting a battle both internally and externally.
Anyone who is familiar with family dysfunction might relate to this book more than others. Also, anyone who is familiar with the Prohibition era may enjoy this book as well. I definitely recommend this book because I enjoyed it, and well, it is Jeannette Walls.
“There are two kinds of family, those you’re born into and those you put together from pieces that don’t go anywhere else, and this is one of those families.”
January 7, 2024
Wow!
How propulsive!
From the prologue to the end, not a moment of boredom (for me).
This was a delightful surprise.
I was pulled into the story and I was completely oblivious of the time and my surroundings.
I loved everything about it.
The writing was beautiful and the development of the storyline was simply incredible.
What a great historical fiction!
The setting is the 20’s, during the liquor’s prohibition period in rural Virginia.
Loved the family drama and the strong female character, Sallie.
Plenty of heartbreaking moments and sadness. But plenty of action too.
The only thing I disliked was the cover (I would not have picked this book if it wasn’t by the author’s name).
PS. According to the author’s notes some characters and scenes were inspired by actual people and events.
(This review was originally posted on 30/09/2023 and edited on January 8, 2024 to add a missing word).
How propulsive!
From the prologue to the end, not a moment of boredom (for me).
This was a delightful surprise.
I was pulled into the story and I was completely oblivious of the time and my surroundings.
I loved everything about it.
The writing was beautiful and the development of the storyline was simply incredible.
What a great historical fiction!
The setting is the 20’s, during the liquor’s prohibition period in rural Virginia.
Loved the family drama and the strong female character, Sallie.
Plenty of heartbreaking moments and sadness. But plenty of action too.
The only thing I disliked was the cover (I would not have picked this book if it wasn’t by the author’s name).
PS. According to the author’s notes some characters and scenes were inspired by actual people and events.
(This review was originally posted on 30/09/2023 and edited on January 8, 2024 to add a missing word).
March 31, 2024
Hang the Moon by Jeanette Wells I was super disappointed. Especially since Jeanette Wells is such a fantastic writer. I couldn’t really figure out what the book was about. Prohibition. Dysfunctional family. I finished only because of the author.
March 28, 2023
If the Tudors lived in prohibition-era Virginia, it would be this book. It's a very simply written emotional roller coaster ride, but it's surprisingly light at the same time.
Click here to hear my full review of this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
Click here to hear my full review of this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
March 31, 2023
4.5 stars
Nothing like a true strong woman and a devotion to family.
(More to come)
Was I intrigued? Yes, indeed! I so enjoy books about strong, stand on your own two feet women, women who are capable of withstanding the hard knocks of life and come back with her fists raised and ready for battle.
Such a girl was Sallie Kincaid second daughter of the backwoods titan, Duke Kincaid. She adored her powerful father, and sought strength in him and his name, but Duke was a hard taskmaster and demanded the best from his children. He was a denizen in town, a man not to be messed with, and Sallie did whatever Duke desired. When Duke married for the third time, his new wife did not cotton to Sallie and after a childhood type of accident involving her and her step brother, she was sent off into the wilds of her aunt's home, a place where tough work but kindness and love resided.
It was suppose to be for a month, but it turned into nine years when Sallie returns to the big house where she learns to deal with tensions and quite a bit of unlawfulness. When Duke passes, her step brother and older step sister eventually die, and sadness fills the household, but tough resilient Sallie goes forward and of all things becomes a bootlegger in order to not only ensure her survival but that of her beloved aunt, and the people who so rely on the Kincaid name.
I so enjoyed Sallie's story, her toughness, her courage, and her ability to shine in a time when Prohibition reigned. Tough times demand tough people and Sallie was certainly the one to step into the life she was destined to fulfill.
Thank you to Jeannette Walls, Scribner, and NetGalley for a copy of this story which published March 28, 2023.
Nothing like a true strong woman and a devotion to family.
(More to come)
Was I intrigued? Yes, indeed! I so enjoy books about strong, stand on your own two feet women, women who are capable of withstanding the hard knocks of life and come back with her fists raised and ready for battle.
Such a girl was Sallie Kincaid second daughter of the backwoods titan, Duke Kincaid. She adored her powerful father, and sought strength in him and his name, but Duke was a hard taskmaster and demanded the best from his children. He was a denizen in town, a man not to be messed with, and Sallie did whatever Duke desired. When Duke married for the third time, his new wife did not cotton to Sallie and after a childhood type of accident involving her and her step brother, she was sent off into the wilds of her aunt's home, a place where tough work but kindness and love resided.
It was suppose to be for a month, but it turned into nine years when Sallie returns to the big house where she learns to deal with tensions and quite a bit of unlawfulness. When Duke passes, her step brother and older step sister eventually die, and sadness fills the household, but tough resilient Sallie goes forward and of all things becomes a bootlegger in order to not only ensure her survival but that of her beloved aunt, and the people who so rely on the Kincaid name.
I so enjoyed Sallie's story, her toughness, her courage, and her ability to shine in a time when Prohibition reigned. Tough times demand tough people and Sallie was certainly the one to step into the life she was destined to fulfill.
Thank you to Jeannette Walls, Scribner, and NetGalley for a copy of this story which published March 28, 2023.
September 6, 2023
I love the ladies in my book club. I don’t always love the books they select. Sometimes a book does surprise me by being much better than I expected, and I am glad I read it. Other times, my intuition is correct. When discussing the less loved book I do my best to accentuate anything positive I gleaned. If I have finished it there must have been something that kept me turning the pages. And that sums up Hang the Moon.
The main character is Sallie Kincaid, a young, feisty woman living in Virginia during prohibition. She takes over her father’s reign and is a force to be reckoned with. She has ability, determination, and clout. I never warmed to her, but I admired her ( my rating going up). Prohibition is closing down distilleries in the county in which she has much control resulting in increased poverty and unemployment. She can and will do something about it. Are there any circumstances that justify breaking a law? I have never thought of prohibition from the perspective of those who lost their livelihood. It made me think (rating going up).
The writing wasn’t great (rating going down). It was convoluted, predictable, and often unbelievable (rating going down again). The characters never engaged me (another lowering). Yet, I finished it and I learned something. It wasn’t a waste of time which in my rating system merits 3 stars. I didn’t hate it. It just wasn’t anything special.
The main character is Sallie Kincaid, a young, feisty woman living in Virginia during prohibition. She takes over her father’s reign and is a force to be reckoned with. She has ability, determination, and clout. I never warmed to her, but I admired her ( my rating going up). Prohibition is closing down distilleries in the county in which she has much control resulting in increased poverty and unemployment. She can and will do something about it. Are there any circumstances that justify breaking a law? I have never thought of prohibition from the perspective of those who lost their livelihood. It made me think (rating going up).
The writing wasn’t great (rating going down). It was convoluted, predictable, and often unbelievable (rating going down again). The characters never engaged me (another lowering). Yet, I finished it and I learned something. It wasn’t a waste of time which in my rating system merits 3 stars. I didn’t hate it. It just wasn’t anything special.
May 26, 2024
I finished this one in a day. 🤓 A backwoods, soap opera- with layers of old to-do family drama. 😉 I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and it was one that I couldn’t put down. 🤩
September 7, 2024
Jeannette Walls' memoir The Glass Castle (1994), is about her wildly dysfunctional childhood, her unfit parents, and her family's constant flight from bill collectors.
When I started Walls' novel 'Hang The Moon' I thought it would be the tale of a family like the author's, but it's not. The book, set in the Prohibition Era, revolves around the Kincaid family, whose patriarch, 'the Duke', is the big cheese in the town of Caywood, in Claiborne County, Virginia.
The Duke's father, who was called the Colonel, was a wily businessman who - after the Civil War - amassed a good amount of acreage in Claiborne County. This was the beginning of the Kincaid empire, which includes large swatches of real estate; many rental properties; a lumber mill; a huge store called the Emporium; and more.
Unfortunately, the Colonel's business shenanigans started a never-ending feud with a family called the Bonds, and the Kincaids and the Bonds' still hate each other.
As the story opens, it's the early 1900s and the Duke is running the family empire. He also heads the local Democratic Party, which allows the Duke to pick judges; appoint the sheriff; and generally control what goes on in his corner of Virginia.
The Duke has been married three times and has one child from each wife: 18-year-old Mary lives far away and isn't part of the household in Claiborne County;
8-year-old Sallie is a wild child who loves speed and adventure;
and 3-year-old Eddie is the son the Duke always wanted. Eddie is a quiet child however, and doesn't look like he'll be the 'man's man' the Duke hopes for.
When little Eddie gets injured during an adventure with Sallie, Eddie's mom Jane insists that Sallie has to go. So 8-year-old Sallie is sent off to live with her Aunt Faye. Sallie waits and waits for her daddy to bring her home, but Sallie isn't fetched until she's 17, when the Duke's wife Jane dies from the Spanish flu.
Sallie, who wants to remain in the family's 'Big House' in Caywood, is determined to make herself useful. Sallie's first job is to take care of 13-year-old Eddie, but she becomes surplus when the Duke marries a fourth wife.
So Sallie becomes the Duke's driver, which means she does errands and collects rent from tenants.
MANY tenants are bootleggers who pay their rent with booze, which is then sold in the Emporium.
In fact, booze forms the Emporium's largest and most lucrative inventory by far.
When the Duke perishes in an unfortunate accident, the estate passes to his oldest (and only) son, teenage Eddie. Since Eddie will be VERY RICH when he comes of age, various family members - especially the Duke's sister Mattie - try to take charge of the boy.
Due to various circumstances, control of the Kincaid empire passes from one family member to another. When the vast enterprise falls into the hands of the Duke's oldest daughter Mary, a devout Christian who supports Prohibition, Mary determines to clean up Claiborne County. Mary and her pastor husband organize a push to destroy all the booze in town; break up all the stills; arrest all the bootleggers; etc. To accomplish this, Mary brings in vicious revenuers who raid the town with impunity.
Sallie, who's now the driver for her sister Mary, doesn't agree with the push to clean-up Claiborne County. However Sallie feels obligated to follow her sister's instructions, and she refuses to take booze as payment for rent. This means many tenants have no way to pay!! All this results in chaos, gunfights, death, destruction, and even more feuding between the Kincaids and the bootlegging Bond brothers.
An underlying theme of the book is the entitled behavior of some of the men, who feel they can do whatever they want with no consequences:
Impregnate a woman? Pay someone to raise the child and forget about it.
Mistress causing embarassment? Send her away.
Want a new woman? Divorce your wife or abandon her.
Wife not living up to expectations....or not providing a son? Kill her.
In this story, though, some of the women - especially Sallie - step up. So yay for them!!
Another theme of the book is the uselessness of Prohibition, which didn't stop people from drinking and started a nationwide crime wave. One really has to wonder what made the politicians of the time think this would work.
Sallie is a breath of fresh air in this novel. She's determined to find her own way, make a success of herself, and do it on her own terms. Sallie can drive a car like an Indy-500 racer; shoot like a rodeo star; and scheme like a politican. One roots for her to succeed.
This is an engaging, well-written story that would appeal to fans of lively historical fiction.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
May 16, 2023
Duke Kincaid owns most of Claiborne County, his extensive portfolio includes: the Big House, Emporium, sharecroppers land and the dogtrot houses they live in. He makes his money, from sales at the Emporium, rent and a lot of his tenants pay in distilled whiskey.
Duke has been married several times, he has two daughters Mary and Sallie and a young son Eddie. Sallie doesn’t remember a lot about her mother Annie, she died during an argument with Duke, he married Katherine not long after and Eddie is their son. Sallie is like her father, her head is full of ideas and she’s a quick-witted, Eddie is shy, very smart and not a rough and tumble boy. When Sallie tries to teach Eddie the skills he needs to keep Duke happy, it back fires and Sallie is sent away to live with her mother’s sister Faye.
Nine years later, Duke sends a car to pick Sallie up and she returns to Claiborne County, since she has been gone somethings have changed, but Duke controls his kingdom with an iron fist and he always gets what he wants. Sallie has to establish her role in the family, which isn’t easy and she has so many extended family members who are waiting to pounce and especially if anything happens to Duke!
Sallie Kincaid is only eighteen, all her life she has had to be strong, resilient, adapt when things change and Duke rules her world. The one person she can rely on is her aunt Faye, she's there when times are tough and protects her, she provides a shoulder to cry on and gives Sallie womanly advice.
Sallie has to rebuild her father’s legacy, to do this she needs money, prohibition has made the price of alcohol sky rocket, Sallie becomes a bootlegger, she and her crew transport liquor at night and it’s a risky business. Sallie has to keep one step ahead of the law, she also has to deal with the Bond brothers, their family have had a long term feud with the Kincaid’s and it’s getting out of hand.
I received a copy of Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Walls has written a story about probation in America or the 18th amendment in the 1920's, alcohol was made by hidden stills in the South and it was used as a form of currency. The main character Sallie is a brave young woman, she's resourceful and clever. Sallie has to deal with the loss of multiple people she loves, she picks herself up and keeps going. I admired Sallie because; she acts fast and has some ingenious ideas, she wont settle for less than she deserves and especially from the men in her life, she has spunk and she thrived in a male dominated world, and four stars from me.
Duke has been married several times, he has two daughters Mary and Sallie and a young son Eddie. Sallie doesn’t remember a lot about her mother Annie, she died during an argument with Duke, he married Katherine not long after and Eddie is their son. Sallie is like her father, her head is full of ideas and she’s a quick-witted, Eddie is shy, very smart and not a rough and tumble boy. When Sallie tries to teach Eddie the skills he needs to keep Duke happy, it back fires and Sallie is sent away to live with her mother’s sister Faye.
Nine years later, Duke sends a car to pick Sallie up and she returns to Claiborne County, since she has been gone somethings have changed, but Duke controls his kingdom with an iron fist and he always gets what he wants. Sallie has to establish her role in the family, which isn’t easy and she has so many extended family members who are waiting to pounce and especially if anything happens to Duke!
Sallie Kincaid is only eighteen, all her life she has had to be strong, resilient, adapt when things change and Duke rules her world. The one person she can rely on is her aunt Faye, she's there when times are tough and protects her, she provides a shoulder to cry on and gives Sallie womanly advice.
Sallie has to rebuild her father’s legacy, to do this she needs money, prohibition has made the price of alcohol sky rocket, Sallie becomes a bootlegger, she and her crew transport liquor at night and it’s a risky business. Sallie has to keep one step ahead of the law, she also has to deal with the Bond brothers, their family have had a long term feud with the Kincaid’s and it’s getting out of hand.
I received a copy of Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Walls has written a story about probation in America or the 18th amendment in the 1920's, alcohol was made by hidden stills in the South and it was used as a form of currency. The main character Sallie is a brave young woman, she's resourceful and clever. Sallie has to deal with the loss of multiple people she loves, she picks herself up and keeps going. I admired Sallie because; she acts fast and has some ingenious ideas, she wont settle for less than she deserves and especially from the men in her life, she has spunk and she thrived in a male dominated world, and four stars from me.
April 5, 2023
3.25 🌛🌛🌛
Bingo B 5 ✅
Mixed feelings about this one. It started out strong and then had too many improbable occurrences
Though woven with a based on some true stories/characters plot, in the end it reminded me of soaps from the 80s like Dallas. I loved the book cover more than what was in the pages, light entertainment not on par with the author's earlier work.
Bingo B 5 ✅
Mixed feelings about this one. It started out strong and then had too many improbable occurrences
Though woven with a based on some true stories/characters plot, in the end it reminded me of soaps from the 80s like Dallas. I loved the book cover more than what was in the pages, light entertainment not on par with the author's earlier work.
May 22, 2023
3.5 Stars
Set during the early years of Prohibition, this story takes place in Caywood, Virginia, a relatively small town, where almost everybody who lives there makes their money producing and selling alcohol. The Kincaid family, included, despite being an important, and well known family. Sallie Kincaid, daughter of Duke Kincaid, who owns most of Claiborne County, is financially quite well-to-do, and involved politically.
’If I live to be a hundred years old, I’ll never forget today. The Duke took my hand in his and the two of us walked down the hall, past the parlor where my stepmama, Jane, was playing scales on the piano with my half brother, Eddie. He loves that piano and didn’t even look my way. In the kitchen I told our cook, Old Ida, where we were going and she said she loves surprises and tugged one of my braids and then we went into the backyard.’
’Old Ida all the time says I think the Duke hung the moon and scattered the stars. Maybe I do. Right then, I sure did.’
Duke has been busy in the years before this story begins, he’s fathered three children by three different women who he married, and then marries a fourth time, which didn’t last all that long, as he dies relatively soon after.
I had really hoped to love this one, and while there were moments in this that I enjoyed, overall it was unexceptional, uninspiring, and just ‘meh’ for me.
Many thanks to my library, and the librarians, who loaned me this copy!
January 28, 2024
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars- my rating is primarily because I think Jeannette Walks wrote an engaging story but it could have used a bit more editing. There were some sections that seemed to go on and on a bit too long.
Sallie is the 2nd daughter of “the Duke”. He is the leader of the family and his little town in rural Virginia in the early 1920’s.
As a child, she looks up to him as if he is magic.
As a teenager, she tries to win his respect and her place as his daughter.
After he dies, she is ultimately left to manage all that he was in charge of and she learns all about his ways.
It’s really a coming of age story for Sallie but it is a coming of age story in a bootlegging, back woods town that is full of danger and new twists for Sallie every time she turns around.
Overall a good story- I liked Sallie and I was rooting for her the whole time.
Sallie is the 2nd daughter of “the Duke”. He is the leader of the family and his little town in rural Virginia in the early 1920’s.
As a child, she looks up to him as if he is magic.
As a teenager, she tries to win his respect and her place as his daughter.
After he dies, she is ultimately left to manage all that he was in charge of and she learns all about his ways.
It’s really a coming of age story for Sallie but it is a coming of age story in a bootlegging, back woods town that is full of danger and new twists for Sallie every time she turns around.
Overall a good story- I liked Sallie and I was rooting for her the whole time.
May 31, 2023
The narrator of the story is Sallie Kincaid, the daughter of a prosperous man named Duke. The time of the story is during the Prohibition era in Virginia.
The heart of the story picks up when Sallie turns 18 and moves back home after living with her aunt in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Her memories of her family are distorted. Especially about Duke.
And... what she comes to learn about what they do, especially after her father dies. Then she becomes responsible for the family business. This is the crux of the story.
Lots of plot twists and turns. Characters come and go abruptly at times. Thrilling rides through the countryside. A love story.
The story is fast, like Sallie's life. Not easy to connect to for me. 3.5 stars
The heart of the story picks up when Sallie turns 18 and moves back home after living with her aunt in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Her memories of her family are distorted. Especially about Duke.
And... what she comes to learn about what they do, especially after her father dies. Then she becomes responsible for the family business. This is the crux of the story.
Lots of plot twists and turns. Characters come and go abruptly at times. Thrilling rides through the countryside. A love story.
The story is fast, like Sallie's life. Not easy to connect to for me. 3.5 stars
April 27, 2023
Unfortunately for Jeannette Walls (at least when it comes to this review) is that nothing fictional that she writes could ever come close to the nonfictional accounts of her own family history. I’m currently 80+ reviews behind, so I’m going to keep this real short. Basically, I expected a real humdinger of a time when picking up a story about a female rumrunner in Prohibition Era America. Sadly, I never felt much of any connection with the story or its characters and the writing seemed very . . . . sterile? I’m not sure that makes sense, but to me it was very devoid of much emotion and I basically just continued reading simply to be done with it. It wasn’t baaaaaaad – it just wasn’t great.
April 15, 2023
Sorry, but after getting through about a fifth of the book, I gave up. And I was so looking forward to reading it, couldn't wait even, having loved her memoir and the book about her grandmother. Out of respect for the author, I won't get into criticisms here. Glad for her that the book is on the best-seller lists, but it isn't for me.
May 19, 2023
A bit disappointing. Audio narration not bad but the story didn't seem to have punch. Wanted it to be a bit deeper. I read it but not long after I couldn't recall what it was actually about, so didn't standout for me.
May 21, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Sallie, the main character really makes the book shine. She has will, spunk, heart, and tries to figure out life on her own terms. It has not been easy for her. She idolizes her father, but remembers when she was just a little girl of 3, her Mom dies and it has something to do with The Duke. She then is left to live with her new step-mother, who thinks Sallie is too rambunctious and causes trouble for her brother, Billy. The Duke, then makes Sallie live with her Aunt Fey for nine years. It is quite harsh, even though she is very attached to her Aunt.
There is much drama and heartache to follow. Sallie learns about moonshine and bootlegging and sees this as a possible way out of the poverty she will otherwise have to live in.
The book does get a bit dramatic at times, there are many scrabbles and deaths, so it had a soap operish feel, but overall I loved Sallie and routed for her to live the life she wants and stand up for herself and those around her.
I had both the book and the audio🎧. The book came in from my library when I was 50% done listening with the audio only. I found it was much easier to follow with both the book and the audio. I guess that is usually how I like books, to read, but can listen to part with audio. Audio alone, with fiction, I sometimes find can be hard to follow all the characters.
There is much drama and heartache to follow. Sallie learns about moonshine and bootlegging and sees this as a possible way out of the poverty she will otherwise have to live in.
The book does get a bit dramatic at times, there are many scrabbles and deaths, so it had a soap operish feel, but overall I loved Sallie and routed for her to live the life she wants and stand up for herself and those around her.
I had both the book and the audio🎧. The book came in from my library when I was 50% done listening with the audio only. I found it was much easier to follow with both the book and the audio. I guess that is usually how I like books, to read, but can listen to part with audio. Audio alone, with fiction, I sometimes find can be hard to follow all the characters.
March 25, 2024
"Hang the Moon" by Jeannette Walls is a riveting drama-filled page-turner centered around a fraught battle over a family business, capturing a vivid sense of place and time during the prohibition era. Walls delves into themes of family dynamics, racial tension, secrets, and power struggles, creating a tapestry of drama that propels the story forward.
The story's strength lies in Walls' excellent construction of the female characters, each grappling with their own conflicts while navigating a male-dominated world. Walls breathes life into these characters, making them leap off the pages and allowing readers to enter their shoes. One such character is Salli, who is perpetually underestimated and overlooked. She fights for her independence, refusing to be constrained by the societal expectation of having a man by her side. Salli makes her own way and redefines the rules on her own terms.
The pace is fast and there is never a dull moment for Salli as she fights for her place in her family and world with strength, grace, and love.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
The story's strength lies in Walls' excellent construction of the female characters, each grappling with their own conflicts while navigating a male-dominated world. Walls breathes life into these characters, making them leap off the pages and allowing readers to enter their shoes. One such character is Salli, who is perpetually underestimated and overlooked. She fights for her independence, refusing to be constrained by the societal expectation of having a man by her side. Salli makes her own way and redefines the rules on her own terms.
The pace is fast and there is never a dull moment for Salli as she fights for her place in her family and world with strength, grace, and love.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
August 19, 2022
Hang the Moon is a new novel by Jeannette Walls, the author of the amazing memoir The Glass Castle.
Hang the Moon is fiction set in Prohibition Virginia, telling the story of Sallie Kincaid and the whole Kincaid family. Readers see Sallie grow from childhood, when she’s hoping to be the fastest in her wagon to impress her father, to adulthood, supporting her neighbors with a little nighttime rumrunning…
In The Glass Castle, I was constantly amazed by how the children just accepted their upbringing, no matter how weird or dysfunctional it got, and Walls does the same thing in Hang the Moon. Sallie Kincaid just accepts her life as the Duke’s daughter, obviously she’s the local princess with a volatile father. Obviously, the Duke rents out most of the nearby housing, and accepts payment in cash, whiskey which will be sold in the family’s Emporium, or in Kincaid scrip, a local currency for buying and selling in Emporium. Of course, that’s the way it’s always been, hasn’t it? The story is wildly different from The Glass Castle, of course, but there’s the same feeling of a charismatic, volatile, confusing father.
There’s a great deal of family drama in Hang The Moon, all around this moonshine empire that the Duke inherited and then expanded on. The Kincaids are the wealthiest, most powerful family for miles. I have to say that the Tudor family tree works incredibly well for a Southern Gothic family. It works so well that I didn’t pick up on the parallels for a while, since Mary, Jane, Eddie, and Tom are pretty common Virginia names, too. While I was reading, I had a passing thought that there was a Jane and a Seymour in this convoluted family, and isn’t that funny, like Jane Seymour? And Jane is the Duke’s third wife, just like Jane Seymour! And then I kept reading without putting it together. It was only the part about Mary’s pregnancy that tipped me off, and even then, I was still thinking that I must be reading too many Tudor dramas…
Hang the Moon tells a drama about rural moonshine makers and heavy-handed Prohibitionists, about inheritance and class. There are funny moments, like when successful rumrunner Sallie agrees to take a bored deb along one night, but the joke is never at the expense of the rural residents. The Tudor parallels work particularly well here, so when there’s shootout or standoff, it feels more like a royal rebellion than a redneck story. Overall, I loved Sallie’s creative, unusual solutions to unsurmountable problems in her family and in her community.
Crossposted to my book blog
Hang the Moon is fiction set in Prohibition Virginia, telling the story of Sallie Kincaid and the whole Kincaid family. Readers see Sallie grow from childhood, when she’s hoping to be the fastest in her wagon to impress her father, to adulthood, supporting her neighbors with a little nighttime rumrunning…
In The Glass Castle, I was constantly amazed by how the children just accepted their upbringing, no matter how weird or dysfunctional it got, and Walls does the same thing in Hang the Moon. Sallie Kincaid just accepts her life as the Duke’s daughter, obviously she’s the local princess with a volatile father. Obviously, the Duke rents out most of the nearby housing, and accepts payment in cash, whiskey which will be sold in the family’s Emporium, or in Kincaid scrip, a local currency for buying and selling in Emporium. Of course, that’s the way it’s always been, hasn’t it? The story is wildly different from The Glass Castle, of course, but there’s the same feeling of a charismatic, volatile, confusing father.
There’s a great deal of family drama in Hang The Moon, all around this moonshine empire that the Duke inherited and then expanded on. The Kincaids are the wealthiest, most powerful family for miles. I have to say that the Tudor family tree works incredibly well for a Southern Gothic family. It works so well that I didn’t pick up on the parallels for a while, since Mary, Jane, Eddie, and Tom are pretty common Virginia names, too. While I was reading, I had a passing thought that there was a Jane and a Seymour in this convoluted family, and isn’t that funny, like Jane Seymour? And Jane is the Duke’s third wife, just like Jane Seymour! And then I kept reading without putting it together. It was only the part about Mary’s pregnancy that tipped me off, and even then, I was still thinking that I must be reading too many Tudor dramas…
Hang the Moon tells a drama about rural moonshine makers and heavy-handed Prohibitionists, about inheritance and class. There are funny moments, like when successful rumrunner Sallie agrees to take a bored deb along one night, but the joke is never at the expense of the rural residents. The Tudor parallels work particularly well here, so when there’s shootout or standoff, it feels more like a royal rebellion than a redneck story. Overall, I loved Sallie’s creative, unusual solutions to unsurmountable problems in her family and in her community.
Crossposted to my book blog
April 8, 2023
Duke Kincaid was someone you didn't want to cross. He always had to have his way.
Well...his second wife had him not getting his way and having him send away his daughter, Sallie, because his wife said she caused her son to have a terrible accident.
Sallie went to live with her Aunt for nine years…yes, nine years...he never allowed her to come back until his wife died because he needed her to take care of the child who had no mother.
It was an ok return, but not until Sallie asked to be part of the business did her father think she was good for something other than being a man's wife.
Then Eddie died, and things changed.
HANG THE MOON was well written as all of Ms. Wall’s books are.
You will love Sallie for her strength and how she grew as the story unfolded.
It got a bit slow at times, but the story line still held my interest with all its drama.
This book will be enjoyed by those who like books about prohibition, family, and Ms. Wall’s books. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
Well...his second wife had him not getting his way and having him send away his daughter, Sallie, because his wife said she caused her son to have a terrible accident.
Sallie went to live with her Aunt for nine years…yes, nine years...he never allowed her to come back until his wife died because he needed her to take care of the child who had no mother.
It was an ok return, but not until Sallie asked to be part of the business did her father think she was good for something other than being a man's wife.
Then Eddie died, and things changed.
HANG THE MOON was well written as all of Ms. Wall’s books are.
You will love Sallie for her strength and how she grew as the story unfolded.
It got a bit slow at times, but the story line still held my interest with all its drama.
This book will be enjoyed by those who like books about prohibition, family, and Ms. Wall’s books. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
April 29, 2023
this book genuinely made me want to cry and laugh at the same time because what was even happening. so so so many people died, there were several pregnancies (including a fake one), everyone cheated on each other and had kids with each other, the family tree of the main family made zero sense. it was supposed to be based on tudor england which at some points was extremely obvious to the point of no creativity on the part of the author and was sometimes very obscure (which might also be because i have very limited knowledge of tudor england). i do not recommend this book and i think that everyone who worked on it was on drugs or something because there was no clear plot, just a lot of insane plot points right down to the end.
April 16, 2023
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls is the story of Sallie Kincaid, the daughter of the most powerful man in the county, in Prohibition era United States. Inspired by the Tudor family, the book is very fast-paced and full of twists and turns. Sallie is a fantastic, strong female protagonist during a time when society just expected women to let men oversee everything. I loved Sallie’s growth throughout the book as she realizes the way things have always been is not the way they should be. Recommended for fans of the author’s other works and historical fiction fans in general.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review.
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