Valley of the Moon

An utterly original, thoughtful and deeply compelling novel for readers who loved The Time Traveler’s Wife.

In the heart of the Sonoma Valley, on the edge of a sun-drenched meadow, lies the idyllic community of Greengage – where the residents wear simple clothes, lead quiet lives and whose manners could almost seem to be of another time.

Into this world stumbles single mother Lux Lysander, trying to lose herself in the peaceful beauty of the Californian countryside while her young son visits his grandparents. It’s a world far away from the unpaid bills piling up and the overwhelming sense of struggle to make ends meet.

Soon, Lux finds herself drawn into the lives of the people of Greengage, discovering not only the secret at the heart of their community but also a sense of belonging she didn’t know she was looking for. Torn between this life and her own with her son back in San Francisco, can Lux turn her back on the only place that has ever truly felt like home?

‘Lovingly handcrafted, delectable and transcendent’San Francisco Chronicle

‘Beautifully written . . . a wonderful story about belonging, love and the aching certainty that there’s something more out there. . . . Sure to appeal to fans of Time and Again or The Time Traveler’s Wife’ Shelf Awareness (starred review)

‘Captivating’ Booklist

Reviews

‘Lovingly handcrafted, delectable and transcendent’—San Francisco Chronicle

‘Beautifully written . . . [Valley of the Moon is] a wonderful story about belonging, love and the aching certainty that there’s something more out there. . . . Sure to appeal to fans of Time and Again or The Time Traveler’s Wife’—Shelf Awareness (starred review)

‘Magical, cinematic . . . Valley of the Moon is breathlessly romantic’ —Sarah Addison Allen

‘Two narrators, separated by nearly a century, tell a tale of old-time charm and contemporary agita’ —Kirkus Reviews

‘Captivating . . . reminiscent of Brigadoon’ —Booklist

‘Gripping …well-crafted twists and thought-provoking insights into different times and cultures’ – Historical Novels Review

About the author

Melanie Gideon is the bestselling author of Wife 22 and The Slippery Year: A Meditation on Happily Ever After, as well as three young adult novels. Wife 22 has been translated into thirty-one languages. She has written for The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Shape, Marie Claire, The Times of London, and other publications. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and son.