4.5 Stars. Every once in a while, you pick up a book and know it's going to be special from the first page. That's the feeling I got when I started this book. I was also surprised by this book. The story is about a woman who has just lost her husband and her friends that for one reason or another descend on her at her house after an ice storm in her small town in Georgia. They are really a hodgepodge of people that spend time together and learn to support each other, regardless of their differences.

This story is also about the racial divide in the small southern town. The symbol for the divide is a statue of a southern war hero. There are already strong feelings about the statue, but when it is destroyed and the owner passes, the decision to put another one up may be more than this small town can survive.

Extremely interesting characters and a lot of characters (I had to take notes so that I could remember who was who). I loved how they all interacted and the complexities of the relationships.

A book about racial and political divide without shoving it down the reader's throat.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

When the Moon Turns Blue is a contemporary story based in Wesleyan Georgia.

Marietta Cline is at her husband's funeral when she begins to feel a migraine coming on. Butter, a friend of hers from the past, observes her and can also see Marietta struggling to get through the service. As they stand for a song, Marietta leaves the service by a side door and runs to the restroom to be sick. Butter rushes to her side and talks her into going home.

An ice storm is forecasted to shut the town down when it hits the next day. As Butter, Will, Glinda and Gordon join Marietta for different reasons of their own, they begin to really talk to one another.

Meanwhile the people of Wesleyan are polarized about a statue of a confederate General being taken down during the ice storm. No one seems to know who did it or why.

Once in a while the odd thing happens,
Once in a while the dreams come true,
And the whole pattern of life is altered,
Once in a while, the moon turns blue
W. H. Auden

When the Moon Turns Blue is story of friendship and family during a time of emotional conflict. This is told without taking sides of the controversy. The writing is wonderfully written, although there were many characters to keep track of. It is told from many points of view. I was surprised by who had taken the statue down, I just couldn't settle on any of the characters. I enjoyed the story as it made me think about it long after I finished reading.

When we arrive in the small town of Wesleyan, Georgia, a beloved man is dead, a statue has caused the town to split in two and an ice storm is on the way. When the ice shuts down road and bursts pipes, the new widow, Marietta, finds herself with three unlikely visitors, each with their own griefs going on. I found When the Moon Turns Blue a very interesting picture of what can divide a community and whether or not it can be put back together. Dealing with issues every southerner is familiar with in a civil war statue under fire and an upcoming race for mayor, Terry plops us right in the middle of small town life and we feel like we have always been there. Like most books set in the south, even those written by people who live here, there are far too many made up phrases. However, if you are someone who has ever run to the Kroger to buy bread and milk before the ice storm, or you want to know what that is like, preorder this one now, it comes out 2/21/23.

An ice storm is as rare as a blue moon in Wesleyan< Georgia but that's what's happened. And now, a group of residents of the town are gathered in Marietta's home and they're telling their stories and giving their perspectives on the proposed removal of a Confederate statue. Well, it's beyond propose because the statue was vandalized. Such a topical issue and Terry has made a good effort at offering multiple points of view, both literal and figurative, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

A Stellar Story of Family and Friendships

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Tempers are flaring in the small Wesleyan, Georgia community over the statue of a confederate General erected in 1918. The threat to remove the statue has sharply divided the town. When a rare ice storm hits Wesleyan, the town wakes to find the controversial statue destroyed and much of the town damaged and without power for days.

The tensions over the statue concern Marietta Cline, who has never been a fan. Her brother, Macon, is a top defense attorney in the Southeast. He is representing the owner of the park where the statue has always stood on private property. Now Macon is determined to find and punish those responsible for destroying the statue, and Marietta is beside herself.

The ice storm has also caused Marietta’s beautiful family home to become a refuge and safe haven for an unlikely group of three remote acquaintances the day after her husband’s funeral. The four reconnect, and they come to appreciate each other for their differences, a gay bookstore owner, an estranged childhood friend of Marietta, and Marietta’s sister-in-law and Macon’s wife.

Once in a while the odd thing happens,
Once in a while the dreams come true,
And the whole pattern of life is altered,
Once in a while, the moon turns blue
W. H. Auden

REVIEW
WHEN THE MOON TURNS BLUE is a stellar story of friendship and family during a time of immense conflict. The timely story is told with compassion and care for both sides of the controversy. The writing is thought-provoking, descriptive, and easy to read, despite a large cast of characters.

It’s a dizzying carousel of a plot, with each chapter rotating between various groups of characters. The characters propel the narrative and are realistically drawn. The dialog is meaningful and at times, witty. It’s a touching drama reflecting real-life struggles.

WHEN THE MOON TURNS BLUES is a perfect book for a rainy day or a day in a comfy chair by a warm crackling fire. You’ll love Marietta’s character and willingness to stand up for her beliefs.

Author Pamela Terry Is a lifelong Southerner who learned the power of storytelling at a very early age. A previous novel The Sweet Taste of Muscadines was published in 2021

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Published February 21, 2023
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

This was the strangest book. I’m not sure what to think about it. It’s full of town characters and a bit of a mystery.
Every chapter was about someone else in the town and it flipped back and forth. I don’t think it was quite what I was expecting.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This story is set in a small Georgia town where a divide has surfaced in the community around a Confederate statue. Harry Cline’s funeral is held the day before an ice storm shuts down the town of Wesleyan. As the town listened to the noise of tree limbs breaking in the ice, they didn’t hear the noise of the statue of a Confederate general being ripped from its base. Half of the town is pleased and the other half wants to make immediate plans to replace the statue.
This book has a wonderful cast of characters from Harry’s widow Marietta, her brother Macon, her friend Butter, and more. The characters are relatable, quirky, and real, and the ice storm brings some of them together in ways that they never would have imagined. This book is beautifully written.

The premise of this book is very good. The book is also well written and good descriptions. However it seemed tedious to me and I had to work at finishing it. There were so many characters I couldn’t keep track of them. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Pamela Terry captures perfectly the friendships and relationships of people and places. She was able to do this in The Sweet Taste of Muscadines, and she does it again in this book.

Set in Georgia, the story starts with a funeral, that of Harry Cline, well-loved antiques shop owner. His wife, Marietta, develops a migraine during the service and leaves. Her former friend, Butter, realizes what is happening and she helps her get out of the church and back to her house. An ice storm is quickly shutting down the town. Marietta has heat, so her house becomes the haven for several others. Butter, who used to be a good friend, arrives, as does Glinda, Marietta's sister-in-law. She shamed her husband, Macon, at the reception following the funeral and she has a lot of thinking to do. Another neighbor who recently lost his partner shows up, as does a young neighbor girl who pops in and out.

The following morning, the town awakes, covered in ice and shut down, and discovers the Confederate statue has come down during the storm. Did the storm take it down, or were there other events that might have taken it down? We meet a host of characters, and discover the town is struggling with its identity and its future.

We like to think we know people and we have our circle of friends. To our surprise, we find there are other opinions and many other people out there that we might just like to include in our circle of friends.

A beautifully written novel from Pamela Terry. I loved "the sweet taste of muscadines' and this novel did not disappoint.

In a small town in Georgia, the community is divided over the fate of a statue of a confederate general, that has stood in a park on private land owned by Old Man Griffin for many years. Many people want it removed, while others feel it represents a past that should not be forgotten but celebrated.

The morning after an ice storm hits, the community wakes up to discover the status has been destroyed, and sentiments are running high. Fingers are being pointed and blame attributed to various people around town.

We follow a small group of people involved in the community - Marietta who has just buried her husband Harry, and her brother Macon - a well-known defense attorney. Marietta and Macon are on opposite sides of the statue debate, and haven't got on for several years. Macon's wife Glinda, always quietly in her husband's shadow, has her eyes opened at Harry's funeral, to her husband's beliefs. Butter, an old friend of Marietta's, comes back into her life, and joins Gordon - a long standing friend, in supporting Marietta after the funeral.

Through their points of view, we watch as the town struggles with the conflict and its aftermath. When Macon defends Old Man Griffin's side, Marietta and Glinda are left trying to decide what they can do.

The characters are wonderful in this novel, very believable and well written. I truly adored several of them. A few surprises are revealed, as we watch people who love each other but don't necessarily like each other, come to terms with their relationships.

An excellent read.

Thanks to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This was a perfect book for reading right now. Themes of family, friendship, forgiveness, mourning and healing. It begins with a rare ice storm striking the small southern town of Wesleyan, Georgia on the morning of Harry Cline’s funeral. It’s also the morning that a controversial Confederate statue is found destroyed in the town park. One main character reflects on these events, “Ice storms in Georgia are rare. When that ice fell down on Wesleyan, it knocked a lot of things out of place, and we were but two of the many. And as you all doubtless know, before that cold week was out, well, let’s just say a lot of us discovered just how much we’re all connected to one another, whether we especially want to be or not.”

Each chapter is titled with the names of the primary characters featured in that chapter. And each chapter seems to introduce someone new. Despite the large cast, it was easy to keep everyone in this small-town novel straight. Some characters were quirky, some predictable, some sad, and others hopeful. I enjoyed how the author weaves together their relationships and illustrates the growth and connections that develop between several of the characters.

I also enjoyed the bird and feather symbolism, as well as the contrast between beauty and hate: “Life has two sides. The ugly is always tempered by the beautiful, the dark with the light.”

The book was a satisfying read, with a heartwarming ending that came full circle. As one of the characters says in a toast quoting the poet W.H. Auden: “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.”

A few years ago, I read Pamela Terry’s "The Sweet Taste of Muscadines" so when I saw this novel, I knew it would likely also be a good read. I was not disappointed, and I encourage you to look for this book (and the earlier one, too).

I loved this authors first book but this one did not hit home for me! Way too many characters and I could not get attached to any of them.

When the Moon Turns Blue, by Pamela Terry, is a well-written novel with great characters and an interesting plot with a few surprises that keeps the reader turning the pages. It's a story of friendships in a small town and an ongoing controversial statue debate. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

During a terrible ice storm the power is out all over town but one house where everyone gathers. There has been a funeral and there is a lot of food for everyone.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ From funerals to ice storms to controversial statue debate and vandalism, this book covers what it’s like to live in a small town of Georgia that experiences grief, love, loss, difficult relationships, racial issues and how it can affect friendships, family, and marriages.


I loved how each chapter was written from different perspectives as this gave depth to the story and showed that each character had their own struggles in life, but came out stronger in the end. This character driven book captures the dynamics of complex relationship when the community is divided over removing a controversial confederate statue.

It was a hard book to put down and It’s a story that leaves you thinking about it long after it’s done. This one will be great for book clubs as there is so much to discuss!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, I was provided an ARC of When the Moon Turns Blue by Pamela Terry via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #WhentheMoonTurnsBlue #Netgalley

With a title like When the Moon Turns Blue I wasn't sure what this book was going to be about.

I have read a previous book from Terry and enjoyed that one and was looking forward to this one too.

It's really the story of a few of the local residents and their families. There is some racial tension due to the statue in town that people are divided on rather it should be torn down.

When an unusual ice storm hits the south, everything comes to a stop. But in this case, everything did not stop. Several people end up at Marietta's house due to power loss and a flooded house. People who do not all necessarily like each other living under one roof can get interesting.

Quirky characters, small town southern life, grief and discord take center stage. I even laughed out loud at one revelation. It may or may not have been meant to be funny, but was to me.

Terry once again gives us much to ponder about life.

Thanks to netgalley and Ballantine Books for the arc.

‘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.’ - W.H. Auden

Last year I read and loved The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry so when I saw this on NetGalley I had to read it. Ms. Terry does not disappoint with When the Moon Turns Blue. In fact, I loved this book even more. Southern fiction is one of my favourite genres. This book has everything I am looking for in a good story. There are racial tensions, a dead body and a couple of acts of vandalism all during a Georgia ice storm, what's not to love!?

Pamela Terry is a wonderfully beautiful writer, her prose is like a warm hug on a cold day. Her words evoke emotions and there is a lot to get emotional about between these pages. She also writes amazing characters that you can't help but love, or in some cases love to hate. I enjoyed the fact that the town of Wesleyan felt like a character as well. Terry hits hard and truly portrays what the United States has been going through since Donald J. Trump was elected president in 2016. The author managed to do this without getting too political or preachy. I was sad when the book ended and I had to say goodbye to the people of Wesleyan. All. The. Stars.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through NetGalley.
Terry creates a world that drifts along from the past as well as being on the edge of the future. Readers meet characters who run the gamut of political and cultural beliefs in this small Georgia town. The story begins with a funeral and a wife, Marietta, who has a severe migraine and has to leave her husband's service. From here, we see a town that is torn over a confederate statue and deeper issues on how to view the past. Chapter titles are the character names of those readers will learn more about in that section. They weave together to share the overall picture. The character who pulled down the statue becomes obvious before being revealed in the final pages.
The author use a relaxed tone to weave her plot through the stories of these people's lives. It feels like any smaller town we may know.

This is a great story. This is a racial and political story filled with humor. Marietta, Gordon and Butter have been friends since elementary school. A death, an ice storm and a toppled confederate statue converge to cause changes in a small Georgia town. The author does a wonderful job of switching between the past and the present as characters recount events. The different voices are also excellent and give texture and context to the drama as it unfolds. This story is also about the deep love shared between Marietta and her husband as well as several other couples. This will definitely be a book to own and read.

This story is about a town divided by a statue, friends who haven't talked for a long time, a mystery, and an ice storm. One part stood out to me, "When that ice fell down on Wesleyan, it knocked a lot of things out of place. Before the cold week was out, well, just say a lot of us discovered just how much we're all connected to one another, whether we especially wanted to be or not." The ice storm did knock a lot of things out of place, but maybe it was to put things back a different way that was better for the small town and the people who lived there.
I enjoyed reading the book, and I thought about different things in the book, and came away with a better understanding. I received an ARC from Ballantine Books through NetGalley.