Review: "Valley of the Moon" by Melanie Gideon

I have always enjoyed stories about lovers caught between time. From the movie Somewhere in Time starring Jane Seymour and the late Christopher Reeve to the wonderful novel, Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, my imagination has been tweaked and when I saw what this novel was about, I couldn’t wait to read it. It did not disappoint, I loved it! In 1906, Joseph Bell is living his dream. He has started a commune that currently houses around 270 people, including his wife. The name of his establishment is located in the Valley of the Moon and is called Greengage. Everyone shares in everything that is grown and all the work that is required, they also share in the money that is raised. Then an earthquake hits and although no one is hurt, a fog settles over the commune and no one can leave. Flash forward to 1975, Lux is an unwed mother, struggling to raise a 5 year old on a dead end job as a waitress in San Francisco. Her life seems to have no meaning and no way out. Her son goes on a visit to her mother and father in Newport and she decides to do something for herself. She goes camping in the Valley of the Moon and wakes in the morning to a heavy fog. She can see a light through the fog and starts following it and walks back into time. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author handled the story. It is told by Lux and Joseph from each of their prospective. She also develops these characters this way. You get an insight into both of their lives and what they are experiencing and thinking. Through Lux explaining to Joseph about her life in 1975 and her childhood, you can commiserate with her reactions to situations, both present and past. Joseph’s character is a little more elusive but you understand his life and emotions through his interactions with others. I also appreciated the fact that the whole story made me ponder how past generations valued different characteristics in a person’s personality. I highly endorse this novel for early teen to adult readers. It examines relationships between generations and the baggage that gets carried around and affects our interactions. It is a gentle, sweet love story about the relationships with our families. You will be captivated from the first page and won’t be able to put it down. I requested and received this book for review from NetGalley.