I loved Pamela Terry’s the Sweet Taste of Muscadines. But this story fell a bit short for me. There are a lot of characters and not a lot of action. It was a bit slow and just did not keep me entertained.

BOOK REVIEW ALERT – Review, Recommendation, Rating & Opinion are my own.

This book is a poignant and beautifully crafted novel that delves into the intricacies of family, loss, and the pursuit of healing. Set in the small, quaint town of Wesleyan, Georgia, the story revolves around narrator Julia Mae Jefferson as she navigates the emotional landscape following the sudden death of her beloved grandmother, the matriarch of the Jefferson family.

The narrative explores themes of heritage, the bonds that tie families together, and the secrets that can both strengthen and shatter those bonds. As Julia Mae unravels the mysteries of her family’s past, she discovers hidden truths and confronts her own feelings of grief and love.

Rating – 3.0/5 Stars
Recommendation – Moderately High

“When the Moon Turns Blue” is a touching and introspective novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate stories about family dynamics, personal growth, and the enduring impact of loved ones. Pamela Terry has crafted a heartfelt and memorable tale that explores the complexities of human relationships and the journey to find one’s place in the world.

Julia Mae’s story is one of resilience and hope, making “When the Moon Turns Blue” a book that lingers long after the final page is turned. It is a testament to the power of love, memory, and the ties that bind us, even beyond the veil of death.

This is not my typical genre/area of interest, but I grew really attached to the characters while reading this book. I feel like if they were real people, they’d be people I’d like to hang around.

This was a good story about a community and how they got though some tense times. Very well written. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

Ms. Terry has written a book encompassing the racial and political divide felt all over this country, but especially prominent in the south.

I enjoyed the book, but had a little trouble keeping all the characters straight. There were a lot of them.

The main people involved descended upon Marietta Cline, a recent widow, and moved in with her during an ice storm. The interaction between Butter and Gordon was contentious. While they had grown up together, they had never been friends, but both were friends of Marietta. That relationship made for some interesting scenes.

The story is a sad but true commentary on the present state of our country. While I normally don’t really like to read stories with political undertones, this one captured and held my attention.

I recommend When the Moon Turns Blue to anyone who enjoys fiction with a lot of truth written in.

This novel takes place in a small town in the south, Georgia. It looks at relationships, beliefs, and disagreements in a very satisfying way. I love the characters and the character development in this novel. So happy to have been given the chance to read an arc.

I absolutely adore the way Terry writes and this is no exception. Her use of words is simply beautiful. In this one a small town is separated by controversy and everyone questions what they really believe in and who they truly know.
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Thank you #randomhouse and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

When the Moon Turns Blue by Pamela Terry is a novel about an ice storm, death and a statue. The story weaves those facts along with interesting characters and tells a timeless story about family, beliefs and fairness. In Wesleyan, Georgia is an old southern town with its small town feel where gossip and innuendos rule.

Marietta’s husband Harry died. During his funeral, Marietta was suddenly struck with a migraine and needed to leave immediately. Her old estranged friend Butter recognized the symptoms and helped her escape and make it home safely. The funeral continued without her, with her brother Mason and his wife Glinda overseeing the meal afterward. This event is the start of the novel.

The novel is told in various voices of happenings over the next few days. The ice storm forced people to take shelter with Marietta and as the story unfolds. The characters with all their foibles help the story move on as various incidents happen. It is a hopeful story about moving on while cherishing the past. When the Moon Turns Blue by Pamela Terry is a good read.

This is a story of small town relationships ... family, friends, enemies. The characters are well developed. And while there are a lot of them to keep up with, they all revolve around the primary characters ... Butter, Glinda, Gordon, Macon, and Marietta. And it helps that at the beginning of each chapter, you will be given a hint at who is featured. The magic realism (involving a raven) wasn’t a positive aspect for me. I am just not a fan of that in books. I did appreciate that the characters were older ... 60s and 70s ... which is a nice change of page for most books. I appreciated that they were still an important of life in Wesleyan, Georgia. And the focus of drama and conflict will keep you entertained as you absorb the words on each page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

A very interesting book about the south. Since I’m it from there and never lived in the deep south, I can only imagine the continued issues that divide the South, However, I got a good and interesting education by living with the characters in Blue Moon. We have multiple tales told but all United around two long time friends who quit talking to each other over differences regarding the Civil War issues. The death of the husband of one of the women and an ice storm bring them together along with many other characters. Their stories are told in batches until the culmination toward the end of the book. They don’t all live ‘happily ever after’, but they all live more sure of themselves and their surroundings.

** spoiler alert ** When the Moon Turns Blue is Pamela Terry's sophomore release. I had read her debut release and was excited to read her newest work.

This book is set in a small town in Georgia the day before a freak ice storm his the town. What comes after the ice storm is

I did absolutely love the banter between Butter, Marietta, Gordon, and Glinda. I found myself repeatedly chuckling when reading about their conversations. For me, they were the highlight of the book.

The main two issues I had with this book is the amount of characters in the book. Yes, it is a character driven book but I struggled with how many there were and keeping the minor characters straight.
The second, and biggest issue, was that the police department didn't even consider that the funeral of a man who "owned" a Confederate soldier statue wouldn't cause an uproar and someone who had strong opinions might just show up at the funeral. The scene at the funeral was just outlandish as far as Marietta's action, Macon's knee, the cane, etc.

This is a book that will not soon leave my heart or my mind. I have recommended it to everyone I know. The characters were so vivid - they popped off the page and felt like old friends.

I absolutely adored this book. I love the characters and the southern writing. It was so much fun to read about small town gossip from older women. I also loved the friendships and the history of relationships.

I apologize, I wanted to red this book, but was unable to read this book in the permitted timeframe. Life got in the way, but now I am back, so if this is released to me again, I will download, read and review it.

This was a very interesting book to read and one that is very timely at this point in our country's history. And it does make you think about those people in your daily life who have very different views of history than your own and how you deal with those people moving forward.

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Beautiful Book about one week in small town GA. One week that changed lives no matter what the age. I was griped by page one, enthralled in the story. wanting to know/watch the Characters come to life in front of me. I was not disappointed.

I recommend this book to all. Its a great fast read that was pace enjoyment during my Vacation

This needs to be said at the beginning
“Just goes to show you, you’re never too old to be surprised. For as the poet said,
‘Once in a while the odd thing happens, once in a while the dream comes true, and
the whole pattern of life is altered, once in a while the moon turns blue’”


Great quote by Auden, great book by Terry. She has extraordinary insight and shares it on so many pages. Her outlook on the the contract we humans enter on the day that we are born and continue to ignore until we are smacked in the face with “the imminence of death” is nothing short of brilliant. How she is able to parse the ugliness of the racial divide in a community and the “Dorian Gray truths of their souls.”

A stupid statue in a private park is the focus of one person’s disappointment for always wanting more of humanity. While that statue is anathema to so many it is hope and salvation to so many others. It calls to us, some look on horrified, others too pleased to define. A funeral, an ice storm and the shattering of a community make for a very interesting story.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy.

Life can tear us apart or bring us together. This special book tells the story of both.
It amazes me how fast we can let something happen and destroy friendships and families. Then equally as fast we can realize what is important, that we come together and help each other.
The author brought the characters in this book to life. They were so well developed they felt like friends. I am sad that I had to finish reading. With lives so busy it is so easy to drift apart. I need to reach out to my past, I need those people.
When I read what this book was about, I was not sure I needed or wanted to read it. It sounded too much like our nightly news. I thought the book was all about dividing us, but it was not. United we are strong, divided we are weak, as a people and as a country.

Friends and family relationships are a big part of this book. There is a controversy over a Confederate statue in the small town of Wesleyan, Georgia. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters in the book.

Ahhhhh this was just such a great read. I just didn't want this book to end and I was sad to turn the last page. I'm so excited to see what's next from this author.