Hang the Moon: A Novel (Hardcover)
April 2023 Indie Next List
“A rollicking adventure set in the Virginia mountains during Prohibition, starring the unforgettable Sallie Kincaid. To say she is bold and fearless would be unjust to her wit and vulnerability. This is a fun and thrilling read.”
— Sarah Goddin, McIntyre's Fine Books, Pittsboro, NC
Staff Reviews
Sallie Kinkaid appears to the outside world of Claiborne County, Virginia, to be a female version of the Duke, her indomitable father who she grew up believing "hung the moon and scattered the stars." But inside she's still the damaged little girl who lost her mother and was sent away when her father remarried. When Sallie returns to live in the Big House again, she's forced to confront the truth of her past and to try to heal the wounds within the family that remain.
Set during Prohibition, Hang the Moon is an historical fiction, coming-of-age, suspense novel that follows Sallie as she grows into a brave, independent woman who eventually inherits her father’s bootlegging empire–and all the power and responsibility that come with it. “I thought being in charge meant I was beholden to no one. What it truly means is that I am beholden to everyone.”
Inspired by Queen Elizabeth I, this is the story of a female child who was previously banished but ends up the leader of a patriarchal empire, refusing to marry and let a man control her. She’s tough, courageous, and has a moral compass that defines her interactions and decisions as she faces misogyny, patriarchal prejudice, class divisions, racism, religious persecution, and generational feuding (the War of the Roses). The novel showcases Walls’ storytelling skill and her ability to incorporate actual history (i.e., the real Queen of the Roanoke Rum Runners, as well as the Tudor dynasty) into an engaging tale full of flawed, not easily categorized characters.
— Shirley Wells
From the #1 bestselling author of The Glass Castle, the instant New York Times bestseller a “rip-roaring, action-packed” (The New York Times) novel about an indomitable young woman in prohibition-era Virginia.
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’ll fall in love with Sallie on the very first page and keep rooting for her all the way through to the last” (Good Housekeeping) in this thrilling read that “goes down easy…like the forbidden whisky that defines the life of Sallie Kincaid” (Associated Press).
"A wild ride through prohibition-era Virginia with a scrappy heroine at the wheel." —People
"A rip-roaring, action-packed novel set during prohibition filled with head-spinning plot twists and enough dead bodies, doomed romances, and sudden betrayals to make you wonder if George R.R. Martin had decided to ditch fantasy for Southern Gothic." —The New York Times
"A propulsive read. Hang the Moon goes down easy... like the forbidden whisky that defines the life of Sallie Kincaid." —Associated Press
"A rollicking tale set in Prohibition-era Virginia with hairpin twists and turns of its plot. Walls has spun another rich story." —The Washington Post
"Wild, smart, energetic. Hang the Moon succeeds in seamlessness, its narrative of Roaring '20s country life, roller-coastering along." —Los Angeles Times
“You’ll fall in love with Sallie [Kincaid] on the very first page and keep rooting for her all the way through to the last.” —Good Housekeeping
“Brilliant and effervescent. Walls has written a stunning and compelling tale.” —NPR.org
“Jeannette Walls is a force to be reckoned with… She has indisputably positioned herself as a writer of great worth, and any work of hers is one to be appreciated.” —LitHub
Praise for Hang the Moon
"A wild ride through prohibition-era Virginia with a scrappy heroine at the wheel." —People
"A rip-roaring, action-packed novel set during prohibition filled with head-spinning plot twists and enough dead bodies, doomed romances, and sudden betrayals to make you wonder if George R.R. Martin had decided to ditch fantasy for Southern Gothic." —The New York Times
"A propulsive read. Hang the Moon goes down easy... like the forbidden whisky that defines the life of Sallie Kincaid." —Associated Press
"A rollicking tale set in Prohibition-era Virginia with hairpin twists and turns of its plot. Walls has spun another rich story." —The Washington Post
"Wild, smart, energetic. Hang the Moon succeeds in seamlessness, its narrative of Roaring '20s country life, roller-coastering along." —Los Angeles Times
“You’ll fall in love with Sallie [Kincaid] on the very first page and keep rooting for her all the way through to the last.” —Good Housekeeping
“Brilliant and effervescent. Walls has written a stunning and compelling tale.” —NPR.org
“Jeannette Walls is a force to be reckoned with… She has indisputably positioned herself as a writer of great worth, and any work of hers is one to be appreciated.” —LitHub