Shame, Fear and Life Choices

To See the Moon Again by Jamie Langston Turner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My favorite Jamie Langston Turner book is Some Wildflower In My Heart, and that hasn't changed. However, I did enjoy this book.

The writing style of To See The Moon Again was very similar to Wildflower, and I enjoyed that. The main character, Julia, referenced books she had read, and music she enjoyed. That always makes me stop and record the title name, or music selection so I can investigate further. It's fun to me when a title is mentioned that you know and have read. It helps me connect with the character.

Turner is a good author. I like how she turns a phrase--for instance

Shame and fear--they made a debilitating pair

or

. . . guilt is an irresistible thing humans latch on to and carry around like precious cargo.

The story itself revolves around Julia, who has tightly buttoned up her emotions because of an incident in her past. She chooses to go through each day by putting herself in a box and protecting her heart and emotions from actually participating in the world. Along comes her niece, Carmen. Julia wants nothing to do with Carmen, but feels she cannot decently ignore her. (Carmen has her own issues, and these are woven skillfully throughout the tale.) Eventually Carmen chips away at that box, and Julia begins to see that she could choose to live and open up herself to the world.

The ending was not quite satisfying to me. Perhaps Julia and Carmen will show up again in a future story and we can get reacquainted with their lives and see how they progressed.


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