Dreams come true in ‘Girl Who Chased the Moon’
In her book “Garden Spells,” the plants were magical, and in “The Sugar Queen,” it was candy that made life sweeter. Now in Sarah Addison Allen’s latest book, “The Girl Who Chased the Moon,” dreams can come true and love can be found, if only you wish upon the moon.
After her mother’s death, Emily Benedict comes to live with her grandfather, a gentle giant of a man named Vance Shelby. Emily’s mother, Dulcie, had told her nothing about her hometown of Mullaby, N.C., or her family, but everyone in Mullaby seems to know everything about Dulcie and a long-ago scandal that had sent her fleeing from the small town. And now they all want to know about Emily as well. She finds a couple of friendly allies in an unusual boy, Win Coffey, who insists they have a shared history, and with her grandfather’s neighbor, Julia Winterson.
Julia has returned to Mullaby to settle her father’s estate and has ended up staying to run his barbecue restaurant. She has become known for her fabulous cakes, and it’s her dream to open her own bakery someday, but it’s so hard to be a success in a town that only remembers your past. Only a former beau, Sawyer Alexander, seems to understand Julia’s passion and desire to bake cakes.
The past also haunts Win Coffey, whose family secrets hold him a virtual captive in his home during the night, and whose growing affection for Emily causes him to want to expose those secrets once and for all. But a family tragedy from long ago threatens to keep the young couple apart.
Allen creates a fanciful world with “The Girl Who Chased the Moon,” where the wallpaper changes to suit the inhabitant’s mood, where delicious cakes send spirals of glittery messages of hope, and where the moon can bring out the glowing best in some and love can triumph over all adversity if given a chance. With a story chock-full of magical fantasy and realistic situations, Allen delights her readers once again with an imaginative and creative tale that is sure to become an instant classic.
