I love a book with a strong, independent female characterand Jeannette Walls still has the gift of great writing. She nails it!

Jeannette Walls has done it again! Hang the Moon is an intriguing tale of a strong Virginia woman, Sally Kincaid, as she navigates the complications of her family and her roots during Prohibition. Walls has created interesting characters with even more interesting and unpredictable relationships, some of which have been predetermined by the stories of their ancestors. While the plot focuses on Sally's rise to the top of the Kincaid family, Walls deftly incorporates substories of bootleggers, questionable parentage, and even murder.

Like The Glass Castle, Hang the Moon is a winner.

I was hoping for a better story given her previous novels. Yes, this one was interesting, and did shed a lot of light into many unfair practices from our past. The characters were well received, and even though things occurred that I was not sure of I did enjoy the book.

As always, Jeanette Walls is a joy to read. If a reader is expecting another book based on her life and the people in her family, you will be disappointed. Having grown up in the southeast, I have known many women just like Grace and the stories of local prohibition whiskey making ring true. Would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about gritty survival and strong resilient women.

I enjoyed this book about an independent woman in the 1920’s set in rural Virginia. It was not a light book, but it was easy to read for the most part. I enjoyed the history and references to places I am familiar with, such as Monument Avenue in Richmond.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Scribner for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Jeannette Walls, the author of The Glass Castle, is the author of an amazing new book titled Hang the Moon. It is historical fiction at its best and it is apparent that Jeannette Walls conducted considerable research for this story on Prohibition and the tensions created among bootleggers trying to make a living and the people who try to enforce the law. The novel is centered around life in a small town in Virginia in the early 20th century. Hang the Moon is a riveting story of love, loss, family secrets, and scandals,

Sally Kincaid is the daughter of Duke Kincaid, the wealthiest man in the town. Although Sally is born into a comfortable life, events transpire that change her circumstances. She endures hardship and loss. But Sally is a feisty character who does not conform to expected female behavior of the time period. Interwoven throughout the book are the relationships among a variety of characters that Jeannette Walls brings to life.

I highly recommend Hang the Moon for the story it tells and how it is told . It is a fast-paced novel without a dull moment.

This book tells the story of the life of Sadie Kincaid in the early 1900's. It's starts with her a young girl who is a spitfire and encouraged to stay outside by her stepmom. Her dad is a wealthy business owner in the county and has remarried a woman who barely tolerates Sadie. Her half brother, 5 years her junior, is much more timid and prefers to be indoors. One day, Sadie attempts to get him to be "more of a Kincaid" and he is injured. The stepmom forces Sadie to go live with her mom's aunt in the country. This story tells to life of Sadie as she comes of age; learning about her family and deciding her values.

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls pulls the reader into the story with the first sentence. In a small town in rural Virginia, Duke Kincaid’s family has ruled for generations. Everyone owes him. His daughter Sallie, who has been in exile since causing an accident to her stepbrother, returns home after her stepmother dies. The story develops more twists and turns than the winding roads driven by the bootleggers surrounding the town. Love, loss, family and loyalty are the dominant themes. I highly recommend this book. I couldn’t put it down.

Jeannette Walls is a wonderful author. I enjoyed this book, however it did feel a little too make believe with so many people dying in order for the main character to be running the show.

3 1/2 stars rounded up
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review!
First of all, I LOVED Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle in which I deem as one of my favorites. This one didn’t quite get there for me however, I am highly amused with the unique voice she gives Sally and her description of her observations. “There are two kinds of family, those you’re born into and those you put together from pieces that don’t go anywhere else, and this is one of those families. Five of us now. Like mismatched buttons that still keep your shirt closed.” I enjoy Jeannette Walls writing style and will continue looking forward to her future works of art.

This book was highly readable, and I wanted to keep reading, but I did not love its conclusion. I understand it ended at a point that allows the reader to imagine the characters' next steps, but it just felt incomplete. I sincerely doubt there will be a sequel to answer lingering questions, so the dangling end feels untidy. Overall, the book was engaging and the characters were well developed. Fans of Walls will appreciate the vivid development of setting and cast. This was definitely worth the read if you are feeling the need to visit the 1920s South with a slight dash of rum running adventure.

Sallie Kincaid loves her father deeply, despite all he has done to hurt her. As an adult, she still strives to make him proud. Doing so makes her a strong woman in a era when women were often destined to become wives and mothers. A compelling story of family - both the one you are born into and the one you can create if you find the strength.

Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner/Macmillan, and Jeannette Walls for the e-ARC of this book.

While I wouldn't necessarily call this a 'fun' read in the typical sense, I found myself cheering for our protagonist throughout, celebrating her wins and grieving her devastation. It's a quick read about a woman finding her identity, place, and worth in a misogynistic and difficult world in the post WWI era.

I enjoy books with strong female lead characters. It was interesting to read about a stringwoman who eschewed the social mores of her time. I found myself rooting for her to :win” and find peace with herself. Although some of the main character’s memory moments allowed the reader to connect with the main character and better understand her choices, I wish that there had been more.

This as a compelling read from start to finish. Both an unforgettable and unbelievable family saga that takes place post WWI in a backwoods in the Virginia mountains. Jeanette Walls fails to disappoint. I highly recommend this book.

Years ago, I happened upon Jeannette Wall’s memoir The Glass Castle and fell in love with her unique writing style. Hang the Moon, a masterly written tale of Sallie Kincaid, the narrator, was beyond my expectations. I am reluctant to leave Sallie’s world, the Big House, from which she is banished and then welcomed again. This is her story as Sallie evolves from exile to ruling matriarch of the family business and, at times, the whole county. Set in the era of Prohibition, Sallie is convicted to violate the law, making decisions based on her heart and her own moral path. Jeannette Walls’ writing is so true and her descriptions so clear that the reader can hear the voices of the characters and see every scene develop.
One can’t help but cheer for Sallie Kincaid, inspired by the life of Willie Carter Sharpe, “Queen of the Roanoke Rumrunners.” She’s a true Kincaid, wild and strong, and her roots grow deep in the Virginia soil as she follows her father Duke and her grandfather before him as head of the family. She is part of the past but also strong enough to carve her own place. This family tree forks, splits, and shoots out new growth with the turn of every page, so read carefully. Who’s a real Kincaid and who isn’t? Who’s an outsider, and who’s family? Who’s a pureblood and who’s illegitimate? It’s “an unholy mess,” but it’s a heckuva good story.

In Hang The Moon, Jeanette Walls tells the story of Sallie Mae Kincaid, daughter of the Duke, the head of the clan and the unofficial ruler of Claiborne County, Virginia. Set in 1930s in the western mountains, Walls paints a compelling portrait of life in this hardscrabble world. Sent away to live with an impoverished relative and relegated to washing sheets when her father marries for the third time, Sallie Mae longs to return to her small town. Despite her exile, Sallie Mae loves and respects her father, and when she does return, follows his leadership style as events push her to the forefront of the town. She is indomitable and vulnerable all at the same time and I was cheering her on as she found ways to support and protect her community in the face of outside attacks.

Walls has created a world for the reader and I was drawn in to the place, time and people. We learn about the politics of a small town even as Sallie Mae is learning a new way to navigate her world. We ride along with moonshiners on winding mountain roads. And, we grieve for those who are lost for there is much sadness and grief in this book often caused by family pride and resentment. At the heart it is a story of Sallie Mae and the strong women who do the best they can despite all the poverty and heartache they encounter.

Jeanette Wells has once again written a great book. I love her descriptions of her characters and keeps the reader interested in the story!

Excellent big deep dramatic story about a sprawling rum running dynasty - a smart independent woman who fights for her place on a man’s world during prohibition - loved it

There is lots going on beneath the surface of the Kincaid family.
Jeannette Walls has always been a poignant writer and I have always been enthralled by her detailed story telling.