The Last of the Moon Girls is a story about love, loss and forgiveness. Barbara Davis’ book sprinkles a healthy dose of magic and action on its pages. The heart-warming story involves murder, romance and a bit of mystery - but don’t expect too many unexpected twists and turns!
The Premise
Davis takes the reader to the sleepy town of Salem Greek where Lizzy Moon returns after eight years climbing up the career ladder in New York City. Her return is sparked by her grandmother Althea’s death. While she sets back home with the intention to put the house on sale and move on, the past events come knocking on her door.
Lizzy’s eager departure from the sleepy town eight years prior was fuelled by a gruesome double murder. Two sisters were found dead in her grandmother’s pond and the town set their sights on her grandmother. The gossip was fuelled by the Moon women’s mysterious history. The farm had passed down from one Moon girl to another, with hushed voices whispering about the weird spells and magic taking place at the farm.
When the last of the Moon girl returns and decides to clear her grandmother’s name, things start happening. In the midst of it all, Lizzy will have to confront many of the things she wanted to run away from, including what it means to be a Moon girl.
From Mystery to Romance
Davis manages to mix many genres together without overlooking the elements of a good book. The different storylines don’t work against each other. Instead, the flow is cohesive and interesting. Davis builds up the mystery nicely and the different characters seem unique and rather likeable.
On the pages, you’ll find plenty of words of wisdom. As Lizzy battles with her inner conflicts, as well as those inflected by society, grandmother Althea’s words come to soothe her, stating:
“Illusions have no power – unless we insist on clinging to them. Then they become a warped kind of truth, a story we settle for because we prefer to remain in the dark with the monsters we know, rather than face new ones.”
The overriding theme of the book is to say that we all have a story to tell. Instead of letting others write and control the narrative, we should find our own voice and be who we truly are.
Cosy But Predictable
The Last of the Moon Girls is a wonderful book with lots of interesting things to say. It’s rather hard to find anything at fault but that almost seems to be the big stumbling block of the book. It all feels just a little bit too cosy and a bit too predictable. It was easy to see where the storyline would lead after new characters and events were introduced.
While the book talks about the need to forgive and move on, you also can’t help but wonder how certain decisions match the character’s action. Lizzy’s earlier decision to leave the farm and her grandmother feels slightly off as she ventures on the quest to clear her name.
In the end, the book offers quite a charming escape into subtle works of magic. It’s an easy read but one that might feel a little too clichéd. You almost end up hoping it would have a few more sharp edges to keep you on your toes.
