The Book of moons
Author: K.M. Herbert
ISBN 978-1-913170-39-4

Sixteen-year-old Kathy is on the run from a convent orphanage. She must reach Dublin to find her best friend but she’s woken up in an Irish Traveller camp, miles from anywhere. Her only chance of getting to the city is with their help, but for that, she needs to become one of them.

Kathy has until the next full moon to find a talent and prove herself worthy. She enlists the help of a gifted young fiddler named Heath. But the others have become suspicious of Kathy, made worse by the disaster that follows in her wake. Only the matriarch of the clan seems to believe in Kathy’s potential.

Time is running out for Kathy as she races across Ireland, along the way encountering fairy forts, changelings and tinkers. And while she tries their gifts of fortune telling and palmistry, nothing seems to work for her – until she discovers the Book of Moons.

 

A young writer with a natural gift to transport us inside her books. She chose the moon as a platform and main theme as Travellers. K.M. Herbert’s teen novel about 16-year-old Kathy who is on the run from an orphanage will have you on the edge of your seat. Brilliant! so said Jess Smith – Storyteller, author and traveller

Beautifully written, vivid and rich description allowing the reader to get immersed in the traveller lifestyle. I found myself captivated by the Irish travellers, in particular, how they made a living, their social dynamics and relationships.

As a reader, you get captivated by Kathy and feel for her struggles with identity and belonging. She is lost, trying to find the anchor to her past. She is not a traveller but finds herself among them. She must find a talent to stay but doesn’t know what she can offer.

Would recommend to anyone looking for a whimsical escape. Great debut by K.M. Herbert.
Josée Berthiaume

I have a confession. I have read this book three times. Three times. And I enjoyed it so much every single time.
It is a classic tale of a young girl who sets out to reclaim her life and finds her life purpose in the process. There’s a fair bit of fairy tale feel about it, it even strays into the borderlands of Magical Realism at times, but most importantly… it is believable, heartfelt, surprising.

I can’t wait to read more about Kathy and her journeys with and within the travellers’ world. And That book. The Book of Moons, I want to read that too.

Beautifully written. Perfect for the age group and in places so funny I couldn’t help but read out loud.
Sussi Louise Smith

I loved the book for its strong characters and original premise. The protagonist, Kathy, is a young woman who ends up with a band of Irish Travellers. She doesn’t fit in but tries her best by learning tarot, dancing, etc. Eventually, she discovers she has a rare gift that everybody thought had been lost a long time ago but is that enough to make them accept her?

I personally enjoyed how the book explores questions about what makes an identity (culture, gender, ethnicity) and how we tell our own stories.

Well-written and well-researched, I would not hesitate to recommend this book to fans of magical realism looking for something out of the ordinary.

All that to say this is a fantastic debut novel and I look forward to reading more by this author!
Yann Choi