I love Jeanette Walls' writing and this did not disappoint. Her main character is made of tough stuff and that is the crux of this family saga. But, the constant tragedy wore on me after a while.

Sallie Kincaid is a force to be reckoned with. She is the daughter of Duke Kincaid, thought to be one of the most powerful and richest men in Claiborne County, Virginia. Duke was someone you didn’t want to cross as he always had to have his way. Unfortunately, Sallie’s mother crossed him by not bearing him a son and she suffered for it with her life. After Duke married again, Sallie was sent away to live with her Aunt Faye. She ended up staying there for nine years. One day, a car arrived to pick her up and take her back to the Duke’s house. She is now eighteen years old. She still looks up to her father and wants to be just like him. She needs to prove that even though she is a girl, she can do the job of a man.
This story takes place during the Prohibition Era. Sallie was known to be a bootlegger and drove truckloads of homemade liquor at night to avoid being caught. She has trouble with the Bond brothers over a disagreement on land the Duke bought. Trouble seems to follow her as well as sadness. She loses those close to her and has to fight for her life at times. You will love Sallie for her strength and how she grows throughout the story.
Jeannette Walls writes beautiful, well written stories involving unbelievable characters. I loved her book “The Glass Castle”. There is quite a bit of family drama in both of these stories.
If you are a fan of historical fiction and dysfunctional families, this is the book for you.
Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of Hang the Moon in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Awesome new Walls book! I loved the feisty character of Sallie Kincaid. her tenacity and drive to stand for what is right and what is rightfully hers made this book a quick read. As usual, the author writes so descriptively I felt like I was right there!

This book is set in the 1920s during the prohibition era in east Appalachia Virginia. Sallie Kincaid is the youngest daughter of Duke Kincaid “The Duke.” Tragedy after tragedy strikes Sallie Kincaid’s family and Sallie takes on more and more of a part in the family business as the book goes on. Sallie is a strong, fearless female, taking her place in a male-dominated business and world. However, she is much more than that. She is the epitome of a hero, a woman every little girl should look up to. She is independent and demands respect from others. Throughout the book, Sallie learns about love and the unreliability of men through her own experiences as well as the women around her.

Jeannette Walls has a way with words. I fell in love with her writing back over a decade ago when I first read “The Glass Castle.” Her fiction books read just as well as her non-fiction. There is no one else that does storytelling as well as Walls. The research she puts into her books is extensive and it shows. Her characters are well-developed. As you read, you can picture the characters and feel as though you are there with them. I give this book 5/5 stars. I can’t wait to read the next book Walls writes!

Family drama at it's best from Jeannette Walls. She tells a solid story with Sallie, a strong woman in rural Virginia during Prohibition. This book brings in love, drama, family business, legit or not that only Walls can deliver. Well developed characters and lots of suspense. Escape to the 1920's with Sallie and you are in for an action packed ride. Highly recommend.

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls is a wonderful book. I love the story line and the characters. Great read.

Sallie Walls is a risk taker and her father pushes her to do it. Set in the early 1900’s, Duke is a big man in a small town. Sallie’s younger brother Eddie is quiet and shy and Duke want’s him to be more like Sallie. She decides to push him and a tragedy occurs and she is sent away.. When she returns many years later to take her rightful place in the family business there is resistance.. She enters a world of conflict and lawlessness. Sallie confronts the secrets and scandals that hide in the shadows of the Big House, navigates the factions in the family and town, and finally comes into her own as a bold, sometimes reckless bootlegger. A good story of a strong willed woman who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and dig up secrets from the past that could ruin them all.

This was an excellent story of historical fiction by Jeannette Walls, I really enjoyed it. She tells a great story of a feisty woman ahead of her time living in Appalachia during Prohibition.

This was a well written book about the Kincaid family in Virginia during Prohibition. Sallie Kincaid is a young woman who goes toe to toe with family members, townspeople, and government officials when her father, the Duke, dies suddenly. Sallie fights to keep those around her, very few friends and many who distrust her, from poverty and starvation after her sister brings in the government to end the moonshining business that keeps the entire town afloat. You will find yourself cheering Sallie on!

Based on several true events, this novel possesses grit and a strong characters. There was never a dull moment keep me engaged from start to finish. Overall I enjoyed the author’s narration and the who lived in rural America in the 1920s.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

I have read other Jeannette Walls books and enjoyed them so much. This had the potential to be good but I found the execution lacking. She had a lot of good ideas but I think she had too many things going on and nothing really connected. Overall, I was disappointed with this book.

3.5 stars
✔️ 1920s Prohibition-era time period
✔️ rural Virginia setting
✔️ moonshine bootlegging, shootouts, feuds, secrets and lies
✔️ spunky, take-no-crap, as-good-as-the-boys, knows-what-she-wants female protagonist
✔️ mostly character-driven

This book has been described as a “rollicking” adventure, but I actually found it to be a bit dull at times. While there’s certainly a lot that takes place in this story, I never felt particularly gripped to keep reading and find out what happened next.

I did like the main character, and reading about country folks made this a different experience from the other 1920s books I’ve read.

The book has a lot of pros (see the checklist above) but while I liked it, I didn’t LOVE it the way I’d hoped to.

Loved the main character -- strong, gutsy and not afraid to follow her instincts. A LOT of death and cheating men, but otherwise an very enjoyable, entertaining read!

Pride and family secrets. Jeannette Walls newest book is full of so many twists and, in my opinion, unnecessary turns that I didn't know which direction the plot was going. I see Walls echoed the spirit of her grandmother for the adventure seeking main character. You couldn't help but root for her success.

Received as a free digital ARC copy from NetGalley.

Jeannette Walls always has interesting themes in her books. This one depicts prohibition, making moonshine, family relationships, race relations, female and male roles to name a few. While I liked the characters especially Sally Kincaid, the book felt just meh to me. It is not one of my favorite Jeannette Walls books. It is a quick easy read and will appeal to those who enjoy history, South East United States, prohibition, female and male roles, etc.

I wanted to love this one but ended up just liking it. The setting was fantastic and I was all in on the family drama but the pacing was off to me.

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for a copy to review.

My thanks to Net Galley and Scribner Publishers for an advanced copy of this e-book.

At the turn of the century in rural Virginia lives a big man who is control of just about everyone - Duke Kincaid. His daughter Sallie loves him dearly. He bought a wagon and teaches her to drive it down the hill and around curves. One day she takes her half brother Eddie in the wagon to teach him like Duke taught her but it doesn't go as well. Eddie's mom and Sallie's stepmother, Jane, sends her away to live with an aunt. At 17 she returns after Jane dies and Sallie begins her life working with Duke and learning to be smart and take care of others. Sallie is tough and smart but not without a lot of people coming after her. A wild Prohibition-era story told watching Sallie face her challengers and get smarter and more confident. Hard not to cheer on Sallie....while you bite your nails!

A work of historical fiction set in the 1920s Prohibition-era, HANG THE MOON by Jeannette Walls (The Glass Castle) is an extremely well-written and emotionally impactful story about a feisty, young girl named Sallie Kincaid whose father, Duke, runs the local county in Virginia. He's wealthy and his businesses include a bootlegging operation in which Sallie, a natural born daredevil, becomes an important player. There is much intergenerational squabbling, strong character development, and quick-moving action as Sallie is confronted with one moral dilemma after another. Featuring secrets, scandals, and family feuds, HANG THE MOON received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly, plus it was a LibraryReads selection for March 2023. Highly recommended.

I have loved Jeannette Walls since I read Glass Castle. Her writing style and her stories are amazing. I was very excited to pick up Hang the Moon and loved the storyline. I love the idea of a strong woman protagonist who knows when to be quiet and when to roar. Hang the Moon is one of the best books so far in 2023, and I am recommending it to everyone!

I loved The Glass Castle so when I saw Jeannette Walls I knew this was a must read. Different from The Glass Castle however, Hang the Moon is a work of fiction. The story is set in prohibition era South and centers around loss and resilience through tough circumstances. Main character Sallie has learned what it takes to stand up for herself and thrive in a male dominated world. Her character is admirable and clever. I enjoyed this story.