Rachel Reviews: Crying for the Moon by Mary Walsh
Mary Walsh's novel is one that I couldn't quite mesh with completely, with its blend of harshness and humour
Some books you read and know exactly what they are setting out to do. Then there are others where, as a reader, you can't work out where to place them. The only clear thing that I can say I loved about this book is its cover which reveals much under careful examination in the right light.
The content, however, I found a little puzzling and I'm hoping to explain why.
The novel concerns itself with a young woman called Maureen whose life is changed beyond measure after a school trip to Montreal. As the book is set in the 1960s, attitudes were starting to loosen, this looseness then manifesting itself in behaviour. Desperate to explore more, Maureen and her best friend, Carleen escape the suspicious eyes of the ever watchful nuns and find themselves in a seamy situation that neither are well-equipped with which to deal.
Maureen returns to Newfoundland without her friend and feels her loss keenly, especially as Maureen is not really sure what she has left Carleen to face on her own. However, Maureen is soon distracted as her trip has repercussions that demand her attention and alter her life forever.
The story itself is a good one. I rooted for Maureen throughout, hoping that she would gain the life that she deserves rather than one for which she feels she must settle. But the delivery of it by Walsh is where I think my discomfort with it lies. This is a harsh tale. Maureen endures a lot and there are moments of savagery in this book that are hard to conjure in the mind's eye after reading their descriptions by the author.
But then, incongruously, there is humour. I suppose it could be described as black but at times, I felt it was callous, inappropriate for the action of the book; sometimes, I liked the wryness of it and recognised it for its observational awareness and its wit - but I never felt wholly comfortable with it. As a result, it felt like there were conflicting tones in the book, like the writer was not certain how to approach the tale.
I found it bewildering and jarring, like we were being invited to laugh at Maureen.
But I just don't know. This wasn't a bad read but it's not one I'd care to repeat.
Rachel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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Comments (5)
Excellent review… not that I’m an expert on such things.😵💫 I sometimes experience similar feelings when I finish a book. I feel unsettled, despite the book having a good premise etc. I hope to attempt a book review on an autobiography written by my husband’s relative. We’ll see.
I wonder how I would have felt with that humour. Loved your review+
Mary Walsh is a very funny woman. Here in Canada we laughed through several seasons of This Hour has 22 Minutes when she was a regular on it. I've never read any of her books and probably won't try this one. I appreciate your review, Rachel, and think I'll take my Walsh onscreen only.
Too bad, the premise sounds intriguing with many possibilities for a story of growth. Thanks for sharing
I really appreciated the honesty of this review. You didn't sugar coat your disappointment and discomfort from this book. But you still pointed out the highlights, the things done well by the author. I was surprised though, after reading your review, this book still got 3/5 stars.