Editorial Content for Listen to the Moon

When I saw the cover of LISTEN TO THE MOON, I assumed that I would not like it. The central image shows a girl (who does not look like the description of the girl in the book), a boy and a horse. But I warn you, do not judge this book by its cover. It is not a book about horses, it's a book about a girl and her will to live past her traumas.

It’s New York in 1915, and Merry loves with her mother. Her father, who is fighting in World War 1, sends Merry and her mother a letter, telling them he was wounded and is recovering in a hospital in England. The two quickly decide to visit Merry's father, even though their New York connections warn them not to go --- they would be traveling into a war zone and would be in danger of German soldiers firing at the ship. Even still, they board the beautiful, luxurious Lusitania the following May. It’s a state-of-the-art ship, equipped with a beautiful white piano and spacious living quarters. 

A couple of weeks after they set off, a boy named Alfie and his father, Jim, go fishing off the coast of St. Helens Island, an abandoned island off the English coast. Once they got close enough to shore, Alfie hears someone crying. Alfie and Jim rush onto the island and find a frail, wounded and clearly malnourished girl sulking in an abandoned house with a little gray blanket and a raggedy teddy bear. They asked her questions about where she is from and who she is, but she cannot answer them; she cannot speak. Nonetheless, they bring her into their home and Alfie, Jim, and Alfie's mother nurse her back to health --- physically, anyway.

 My heart stopped at the near tragedies and flowed with the smooth rhythm of Morpurgo's writing. 

The girl is still mute, which is disastrous when people find the name stitched into her blanket --- in German.   The townspeople turn hostile toward Alife’s family because they took in a child who appears to be on the enemy side. It is from these difficult beginnings that Merry's story develops.  

Michael Morpurgo (most known for his story WAR HORSE) made me laugh and cry as he told the unbelievable story of how a girl barely escaped death's grasp time and time again. My heart stopped at the near tragedies and flowed with the smooth rhythm of Morpurgo's writing. The characters in the story became my friends as I read the book, and even though it has a good ending, I was sad to finish it because I did not want to leave the wonderful characters.

Despite the compelling writing, there was one element of the story that I found confusing. It does not say anywhere on the book cover that it is a true story, yet Morpugo opens the book by thanking "Dr. Crow" and other individuals for making the research of this story possible.  It reads like it's nonfiction, and it is based on historical events, and it almost deceptively goes on about how LISTEN TO THE MOON is "the true story of his grandmother."  I understand how he wants the story to seem more real, but the constant reminder that it was a true story (even though it wasn't) confused me, and it will confuse young readers.

As long as readers keep that in mind, those who like historical fiction like WAR HORSE and truly inspiring stories will enjoy LISTEN TO THE MOON.