This is a beautifully written story about women helping women in a place and time where word of mouth (and a single moonflower) was the way to flee from a dangerous and abusive life. Reading slowly and following closely helped to keep track of all the names on the posters and all of the time hops. This was easy to do as the vivid description and beauty in these haunting hills, told an amazing and heart-wrenching story of this small Kentucky town and its courageous women.

I’m so happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy of the debut novel The Moonflowers by Abigail Rose-Marie; thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

Tig Costello has arrived in Darren, Kentucky, commissioned to paint a portrait honoring her grandfather Benjamin. His contributions to the rural Appalachian town and his unimpeachable war service have made him a local hero. But to Tig, he’s a relative stranger. To find out more about him, Tig wants to talk to the person who knew her grandfather, Eloise Price, the woman who murdered him fifty years ago.

Still confined to a state institution, Eloise has a lifetime of stories to tell. She agrees to share them all—about herself, about Tig’s enigmatic grandmother, and about the other brave and desperate women who passed through Benjamin’s orbit. Most revealing of all is the truth about Whitmore Halls, the mansion on the hill that was home to triage, rescue, death, and one inevitable day that changed Eloise’s life forever.

As Tig begins to piece together the puzzle of her mysterious family tree, it sends her spiraling toward a confrontation with her own painful past—and a reconciliation with all its heartrending secrets.

Loved it

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of The Moonflowers!

I put off reading The Moonflowers because I had heard that there were some heavy topics and knew I needed to be in the right headspace. However, after finishing the book, I found that while there were many heavy topics (abortion, domestic violence, suicide, murder), the overall messages I took away are that of hope, perseverance, and courage.

The Moonflowers follows Tig as she is sent to her Grandparents hometown where she is commissioned by the local mayor to paint a portrait of her Grandfather - the local hero and past mayor who was murdered before her father was born. Tig is determined to learn who her Grandfather was and is led to speak to his murderer, Eloise Price. Tig uncovers many dark secrets amongst the small town and her family. This is a story about generational trauma, domestic violence towards women, the women that dedicated their lives to helping them, and the freedom and love that can be found on the other side. This was beautifully written and I was completely captivated from the first chapter.

Trigger Warnings:
- Abortions
- Rape scene

Things I loved:
- Writing style
- Mystery
- Kentucky setting

Besides the things mentioned above that I adore, my thoughts are a bit conflicted about this book. It is very pro-abortion. I am 100% pro life but that doesn't mean I don't feel for the women who find themselves in these situations. I just had a hard time with the abortion aspect and that's what this book is about. The writing was beautiful and kept me captivated. Regardless of their actions, I loved the women of this story and their bravery.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

When Tig Costello arrives in Darren, Kentucky, her goal seems straightforward: paint a portrait of her grandfather Benjamin, a local hero known for his war service. But Benjamin is practically a stranger to her, so to understand who he really was, she turns to Eloise Price—the woman who killed him 50 years ago.

As Eloise is still living in a state institution, she is able to meet with Tig and open up to, share stories about herself, Tig’s grandmother, and the women who were part of Benjamin’s life. As Tig digs - shes surprised, as the deeper into these buried family secrets, she’s also faced with confronting her own painful memories and the truths she’s been avoiding for so long.

This book pulled me in right from the start! The unexpected twists made it even better, balancing sobering and heartfelt moments so beautifully. I love when a story stretches over years and isn’t told in a straight line. It was such a moving, thought-provoking read.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me the chance to read this gem!
📚🫶🏻

Special thank you to NetGalley, Abigail Rose-Marie and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this incredible novel. Wow. This was a beautiful and heart-felt story that encapsulates female empowerment. This novel is easily my most favourite read of 2024. I would not be surprised if this became a Bestseller and subsequently a movie. I would strongly encourage this as your next read!

THE MOONFLOWERS by Abigail Rose-Marie

Once I started reading this, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a slow burn, but one that is worth the time.

Artist Antigone “Tig” Costello is commissioned to paint a memorial portrait of her grandfather. Tig decides to visit his hometown in Kentucky to learn more about him from the locals. What Tig uncovers is way beyond what she expected.

The author delves into a controversial subject, but does so with sensitivity. For every situation the women in this story find themselves in, there are countless others who have had similar experiences especially in today’s society.

Overall, an inspiring, multilayered family mystery with a compelling and thought provoking message/lesson about women’s right to bodily autonomy, and reproductive rights. This will resonate with many. Recommend but do mind the trigger warnings.


Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️

Very heavy and poignant, gorgeously rendered — this was a hard but necessary read from an incredibly talented author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

The artist Antigone 'Tig' Costello returns to her family home in Appalachia to paint a portrait of her deceased grandfather Benjamin. The man was killed by a woman, Eloise Price, many years ago now. She still lives and has many a story to tell from the hospital she's confined within. Attempting to gain a true understanding of the man Benjamin <i>was</i> not the icon the town claims him to be, Tig listens to a myriad of stories in order to uncover the truth.

This novel ask the very inportant question: what makes a good man? Is it the legacy of deeds he leaves behind? Or perhaps the impact he had on those closest to him? Does one of these factors outweigh or counteract the other?

A deep dive into the very real horrors and secrets buried in family trees, as well as, the lengths some people will go to keep them that way. A Southern Gothic blended with the unique flavor of the Appalachian Mountains, this is a novel to check out if you're looking for darker themes in a familial drama. Casting off the rosy hue of reminiscence, we delve deep into the horrors women endured at the hands of those who <i>cared</i> for them. A love letter to women in small communities supporting each other when no one else would. Medical care for women is vital yet often villainized, a dichotomy this novel tackles head on.

What are you willing to gloss over to maintain the status quo? Whose suffering matters enough to remember? How many bodies and damage does a <i>good man</i> leave behind?

I was not sure what to expect from this debut historical fiction novel, but what I ended up with was a beautiful and touching read that centered around women and their support for each other.

The story follows artist Antigone 'Tig' as she travels to the hometown of her grandfather, Benjamin, to support the commission of a portrait for her grandfather, who she has never met. In fact, Tig does not know much at all about her grandfather, except that he was murdered before her father was even born. Once she arrives, much to the chagrin of the local mayor, she starts to seek out people who knew her grandfather to get a better idea of who he was and why he met his demise. This includes the woman who murdered him, Eloise.

In Eloise, Tig finds something other than she expected. Eloise agrees to tell Tig the truth as she long as visits her, and in doing so starts to unravel a truth about Tig's grandfather, grandmother and the town that will change the way Tig looks at things. It appears that Benjamin wasn't the hero the town thought him to be, nor was Eloise the villain...

The book started a bit slowly for me and to be honest, I wasn't sure where it was going to lead. Once the book started to get into the history of Benjamin and Eloise, however, I couldn't put it down. Eloise is the wonderful storyteller of this novel, and given her nature and who she presented herself to be, I immediately knew that there must have been a very good reason for her to murder Benjamin. While the book does provide answers to the central mystery, it provides so much more in demonstrating the bonds of sisterhood, women supporting and protecting each and overall, healing; I also liked the representation of Benjamin's statue as an allegory to the oppression of women from men like Benjamin everywhere.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced copy. I highly recommend that you read it! A wonderful debut and I will be reading more from this author.

The moon flowers

Easily one of my favorite books this year- I can’t believe it’s a debut novel…
Tog Costello is an artist from Chicago sent to create a work of art in honor of her late grandfather,Bemjamin Costello. While there, Tig encounters Eloise Price,who agrees to speak with her about her grandfather and their past.
As the two spend time together, secrets unfold as well as a new understanding of all that happened 50 years ago, in Darren Kentucky.
This book is a wonderful work of historical fiction and opened my eyes to what many women experienced back then, in terms of position and healthcare and the like.
This book is thought provoking, beautifully descriptive and the characters came to life in such a way that they were tangible to me.
There was a message that was meant to come across in this book and I felt that the author put it forth in a way that was straightforward and strong. I gave it 5 stars because I felt it was beautifully written and it was a story I shan’t soon forget.

A beautiful mysterious book about when in a time of need women can be one of the strongest and courageous people. But it also goes to show that you never really know someone, they can be seen to be a great person but in reality cause so much pain for others, in this case women.

The book was so brilliantly told. The topic being such a controversial one that still haunts our society until this day. I loved every minute of this story as I was hooked from the beginning to the end. Wonderful job! I can’t wait to read more!

The mountainous terrain of the Appalachians is the perfect setting for this novel in which flowers and herbs are used for medicinal purposes and have been for centuries. Tig Costello comes to Darren Kentucky to paint a portrait of her grandfather Benjamin, a man she had never met, and who was murdered fifty years ago. For Tig, this trip becomes more than just a painting when she starts to unravel family secrets and the secrets kept by the citizens of Darren. The story touches on sensitive issues and tells how the women in the community stand united and help each other. I enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. Thanks to author Abigail Rose-Marie, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

“𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍,” 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔, “𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒚.“

Reading a book that goes back and forth between past, and present can truly annoy me but it works here. I was charmed by the title, because I grow moonflowers, and it isn’t easy any more than being a woman under the crushing weight of expectations and bad men is. Antigone “Tig” Costello travels to the sinking town of Darren, Kentucky at her father’s request to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the grandfather she never knew, Corporal Benjamin Costello. A brave and selfless man during the Second World War, the town’s hero who is much revered will be honored when the locals erect a statue in the town square. Tig will take on a commission in her dad’s stead to paint a portrait for the museum. Her father sees it as a fresh start for her after her trouble in Chicago, and truth be told, he does not seem interested in learning about his family roots.

Tig learns that she will be staying above a soap and spool shop run by a gruff woman named Mae, who does not seem keen on her presence, nor the fact they sent a female descendant instead of Benjamin’s son. She tells Tig “you have a pretty face,” but it is not a compliment, it can only be a sign of trouble in this town run by dominant men. Thirty years in Darren and Mae knows how to keep her secrets tucked inside, knows that there is safety in being a ‘simple woman.’ Pretty women are anything but simple. Mae clearly remembers Tig’s grandmother Valerie Dunn, but she informs her that Benjamin wasn’t an easy man to know, despite his charms. If Tig is going to learn anything about her grandfather, she is going to have to confront the woman who murdered Benjamin, Eloise Price, who now resides in the asylum for the elderly and criminally insane. She is the only person alive who knew him best. The door to the past opens with Tig’s visits with Eloise. The price for truth is leaves from the red oak trees, that Tig must procure before she will talk. The tale begins under the roof of Whitmore Halls, where Eloise was born, a manor situated on the mountainside overlooking the city that her father bought to house his patients. He, a neuropsychologist studying the insane, whose reputation suffered from his studies involving young girls, made the patient he brought with him, the orphan Joan, his wife. As Eloise came of age wandering the halls, her mother Joan hated being a mother. Forbidden by her father to go near the patients, all she had to escape her lonely state was her imagination, the library, and horses. It is the first tragedy, her mother’s death, which sets the sorrows of her future in motion.

As Tig hears stories the townspeople share, she discovers rumors of missing women, the old stories of poison involving Eloise, hard men returned from the war, and how Whitmore Hall was a dirty place where bad women, run by Eloise and Ulma, the aunt who came to raise her, got up to no good. A place the menfolk would not “allow” their women to go. They killed more than Benjamin up there! Why, if you believe the old wives’ tales, there is a whole cemetery of people Eloise and Ulma buried. The mystery grows, just what were those women up to and how did her grandfather get mixed up in evil doings? Did he know something that made Eloise murder him or was she just jealous that he did not love her back and married Tig’s grandmother Valerie instead?

What Eloise reveals goes against everything the townsfolk swear for truth. Friendship, disloyalty, betrayal, it all reads like a modern-day witch hunt. The only thing Tig begins to understand is that the big brave man the town longs to honor may not be worth the bother. In fact, the men of present day are not so thrilled about her stirring up trouble, smearing a good man’s name, adamant Eloise is evil. If what Eloise says is true, then Benjamin himself was a bad man and the women around him were left ruined for knowing him. How shameful it is to uncover disturbing truths about ones family. What is Eloise doing with the leaves and why do they mean so much to her? Tig’s art is just as vital to her stability. She is running from her own demons, is it possible she can recover from her own personal trauma through women who came before her?

One thing I felt poignant is all the questions that often go unasked in any family. Tig learns so much about her grandmother on this trip and realizes that when Valerie left Darren for Chicago it is as if the past ceased to exist. She never spoke of Darren, nor shared any memories about herself. What a shame we let our beloved relatives’ stories slip away, die with them, always hellbent on the future and ourselves. It is about the bitter rot in the roots of family trees. About the self-righteous blindness that can poison relationships and that sometimes going missing is the only means of survival. It is where women turn when hope is lost, and choices are thin. Sometimes we do not know who the true villain is.

It is a story about power, control, and the abuses educated men often heap upon women and the consequences of stepping out of line, for being different, whatever that entails. It is a brave tale, and the truth will out. But not all men are evil either, good man offer shelter. Moonflowers, what a beautiful flower and a gorgeous meaning. Yes, read it!

Published September 1, 2024

Lake Union Publishing

Though this book was very eye opening, suspenseful and very tragic, this has to be one of the most well written historical fiction book I’ve ever read.

The Moonflowers by Abigail Rose-Marie is a wonderfully written debut title.
An empowering novel that gripped me from the very beginning.
A very detailed and engaging story I really enjoyed reading this one.

Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This harrowing and mysterious novel tells the story of strong women. The prose is impeccable within this novel. Every sentence feels tangible and the pacing was perfect. I loved every bit of this novel and especially love the message and story it tells. This should be a must-read for all women.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book. It is out today!

A really interesting story, and very well told. A pretty good debut novel by all standards, and really liked the link to Tig's painting at the end :) Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Moonflowers is Abigail Rose-Marie's debut novel and it is a powerful and poignant tale of finding the truth and uncovering secrets behind the stories of strong and courageous women who fought for themselves and for other women during a time when they had no voice and no right to choose.

The dual timelines are very well done and the author effortlessly connects the past and the present with a few unexpected twists. Also the title 'The Moonflowers' is apt for the story as these flowers bloom only at night and are symbolic of the freedom and power we women possess when we choose to uplift ourselves and each other when faced with life's many challenges.

Overall an engaging and compelling debut. Thank you @netgalley and @unionlakepublishing for the digital ARC to read and review.