The Girl who Chased the Moon, Sarah Addison Allen

The Girl Who Chased the Moon was the perfect chaser to the harsh bitterness of Wally Lamb’s She’s Come Undone.  Allen’s nice blend of real-life depth with just a touch of magic made this book an absolute delight to read.

The Story is set in a small town in North Carolina where the sweet smells of peach trees mingle with the smoky scents of barbeques. In this town, people can visibly see the sweetness of cakes wafting in the air and strange floating lights roaming the town’s forests at night. Although set in a modern context, country civility is still very much a part of life here. The book follows two characters: 30 something Julia and Emily who’s 17. Any reader who finds herself within this age frame will relate to the two characters; though the tone leans a little more to the mature side.  

Sarah Addison Allen has filled her book with town secrets and vivid characters with mysterious pasts. She did a stand-up job of keeping the material grounded while experimenting with whimsical concepts. I’m a total fan. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a nice light read.