Two Moons in August: A Novel [Hardcover]

Martha Brooks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1992

Brooks is the author of Paradise Cafe and Other Stories, which was selected a Best Book of 1990 by School Library Journal. In this moving novel about healing and hope, she deftly explores the worlds of mourning, family, friendship, and love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After her mother dies, Sidonie's life is chilled and empty. Her father retreats into his work, leaving Sidonie and her older sister, Bobbi, to their own devices. Sidonie gets involved in an ornery--but finally rewarding--romance with Kieran, the new boy in town. Gradually, the grief that has frozen Sidonie and her family begins to thaw. The novel's conclusion is replete--not with garish false optimism--but with the silent unfurling of true hope. Lavish use of period details--glamorous Jantzen swimsuits, Revlon Torch Song Red lipstick and plenty of the era's music--makes the 1959 setting easy to picture; the shimmering, sleepy midsummer atmosphere is just plain luscious. Potent, concentrated language make this densely written novel one that readers will want to savor. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-12-- Soon-to-be-16 Sidonie Fallows and her older sister, Bobbi, are having difficulty adjusting to their mother's death. Their father escapes to his work in the local TB hospital, Bobbi escapes to a dutiful but angry woman-of-the-house role, and Sidonie longs for the comfort of a loving, understanding person. Enter Kieran McMorran. They become friends, but would prefer more. When it seems he can help Sidonie cope with her grief, the boy's own problems surface. After a dramatic climax in which Sidonie nearly drowns, the behavior of the primary characters indicates progress in the healing and growing process. This novel is far better than average, but below the masterful precedent set by Brooks's Paradise Cafe and Other Stories (Joy St., 1990). Written primarily in present tense (with important flashbacks), the plot moves along smoothly, with no dragging or dead spots, to a satisfying ending. The characters are another strength. All are realistic individuals who develop credible insight and self-understanding over the course of the story. A book that belongs on the shelf with the few but essential novels that are both intelligently written and appealing to YA audiences. --Ellen Ramsay, Amphitheater High School, Tucson, AZ
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 199 pages
• Publisher: Joy St Books; F edition (January 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316109797
• ISBN-13: 978-0316109796
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,817,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A heart-clenching and poignant novel. Cherished and reread., July 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Two Moons in August (Hardcover)

I first read Two Moons in August when I was in grade school. This year I will be a Senior in high school and I know I have read this book at least 25 times. Nothing has ever touched me as deeply. Brook's presents her characters and situations with such bittersweetness and honesty that the reader feels their sorrow and their awkwardness. They experience the heat of a Canadian summer, the eccentricity of the 1950's, the loss of a mother, the love/hate relationship of sisterhood, and the restlessness of first love. The best part is that they experience all of this through a lurid and funny first person narative that hovers between reality and the fanciful illusions of ourselves that we all house inside. Two Moons in August has not received the attention it deserves. As a reader I came away feeling sane and human. There is no one who has a heart or a soul that would not feel the same after reading this original and tender novel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books i've read, March 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Two Moons in August: A Novel (Point) (Paperback)

This book rocks! I've read this books a million times and it's still as good as the first time i've read it. This book is about family relationships, and love. It's a really good book for mature 12 year olds and up. It's a story about a girl who becomes interested in the boy across the street. Read it and find out what happens.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best, December 18, 2001

By 

Sarah (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two Moons in August (Hardcover)

i am a big reading fan, and this is one of the best reads ever. i love this book so much. you laugh, you cry, and it has a totally awesome story. too bad its not a series