Alice Sebold "The Almost Moon"

The Almost Moon is a journey through a woman’s complex motives for a horrific crime, which only the reader can decide whether to sympathize or condemn. The book takes place over a 24-hour period, but during that time the reader comes to know the dominant character, Helen Knightly, intimately. The author uses both memory and current event to persuade the reader to come to its own conclusion about the guilt of Helen. Was her crime justified? Can we understand the reasons? Regardless, we know, as does Helen, that there is no turning back once the deed is done. What Sebold skillfully transmits in her novel is that an intense love/hate relationship can dominate our inner being and the direction of our lives to such an extent that choice does not seem an easy option.

Sebold’s writing style is almost prosaic. It is simple, direct, but with nuances and subtleties that reveal hidden meanings and underlying emotions. There are also moments of dark humor in the reading, a relief when raw emotions and graphic images captivate the story. As with her other American “#1 National Best Seller,” The Lovely Bones, Sebold leaves us thinking about The Almost Moon experience long after the last page is turned.

Arden.