by Glenn Quigley

Book Cover: The Moth and Moon
Part of the The Moth and Moon series:
Editions:Paperback
ISBN: 978-1948608145
Pages: 195
Kindle
ISBN: 1948608146
Pages: 197

In the summer of 1780, on the tiny island of Merryapple, burly fisherman Robin Shipp lives a simple, quiet life in a bustling harbour town where most of the residents dislike him due to the actions of his father. With a hurricane approaching, he nonetheless convinces the villagers to take shelter in the one place big enough to hold them all—the ancient, labyrinthine tavern named the Moth & Moon.

While trapped with his neighbours during the raging storm, Robin inadvertently confronts more than the weather, and the results could change everything.

Published:
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Tags:
Reviews:Joyfully Jay on Joyfully Jay wrote:

A hurricane is coming and the small, isolated island of Merryapple is in its path. For the residents of this small coastal hamlet, it means furious preparation and then a long night of hunkering down at the Moth and Moon, the local pub. The hurricane that ravages Merryapple will be brutal and the destruction it leaves in its path will be more than its inhabitants can imagine. The long night will open old wounds, tear some families apart, change futures, and help three men start over.

Wow. It’s really all I can say. Whatever I expected from The Moth and Moon, it ended up being so much more. Elegantly written with emotion and detail, the story drew me in from the first paragraph. Honestly, it was impossible not to become swept up in the fictional reality of Merryapple and the small village at Blashly Cove. I think anyone who grew up in a small town will be able to relate to the sense of being that comes from living and working so closely with other people. All their foibles, pettiness, and kindness come out in the actions of daily life or in the wake of great upheavals. Because every small town has a secret and Blashly Cove is no different. The author does an amazing job of introducing the town and, more specifically Robin, Duncan, and Edwin. These men connected to one another in ways they don’t fully realize and learning about them is half the joy of The Moth and Moon. I mean when a sailor, a toymaker, and a baker walk into a bar it should be the start of a great joke, not an exploration of loss, love, and grief.

One of the best aspects of this book is the realism of it all and by that I mean the realism of its characters. Robin, Duncan, and Edwin aren’t handsome, plastic men. They’re middle aged, weary, and carrying a few pounds. But they’re all men we know – one a bit clumsy and something of a village outcast, one working himself too death to atone for some imagined debt, and another who clings to the good because he has endured so much of the bad. Their struggles are ordinary and therefore relatable. We feel for these men and the town itself because it could easily be our own.

The only misstep of The Moth and Moon is the town’s distrust and dislike of Robin. Given what we think Robin’s father did initially, their derision seems somewhat out of proportion. Perhaps this was intentional on the part of the author because when we find out the reality of the older man’s actions, it’s astonishing. But this was the only part of the book that just seemed somewhat out of tune with the emotional core of the story. It’s a small issue at best and certainly not one that detracts from The Moth and Moon as a whole.

The Moth and Moon was a beautiful read, epic in its depiction of ordinary life and the healing power of letting things go, be it a painful past or a burdensome secret. It possesses a hint of otherworldliness that I think comes from the island’s isolation and its people insular nature. But all of this adds to an amazing story and characters that will leave a definite impression.


About the Author

GlennQuigley.com Glenn Quigley is an author and artist originally from Tallaght in Dublin, Ireland, and now living in Lisburn, Northern Ireland with his partner of many years. His first novel, THE MOTH AND MOON was published in 2018. When not writing, he paints portraits in watercolours and tweets too many photos of lighthouses. He maintains a website of his latest work at www.glennquigley.com

His novels THE LION LIES WAITING and WE CRY THE SEA won honorable mentions at the Rainbow Awards in the category Best Gay Book in 2019 and 2020/21

In 2022, his first contemporary story, USE AS WALLPAPER, was published by Ninestar Press. His novella, THE GREAT SANTA SHOWDOWN, was published in December 2022 by JMS BOOKS.

Also in December 2022, THESE YOUNG WOLVES - THE KNIGHTS OF BLACKRABBIT book 1 was published by Ninestar Press.

Web: glennquigley.com

Facebook: facebook.com/glennquigleyauthor

Twitter: @glennquigley

Instagram: instagram.com/glennquigleyauthor



Other Books By Glenn Quigley

Uncategorized

Glenn Quigley These Young Wolves The Knights of Blackrabbit book #1 A man in a tricorne walking along a cobblestone road with buildings on either side
These Young Wolves
Tags:

Genre: Action Adventure

The cover for a novel named We Cry The Sea. A tall ship sailing on the open sea at sunset
We Cry The Sea
The cover to a novel named The Lion Lies Waiting. A grand house by a still lake, snow in the foreground
The Lion Lies Waiting

Genre: Age Gap

The cover for a novel named We Cry The Sea. A tall ship sailing on the open sea at sunset
We Cry The Sea
The cover to a novel named The Lion Lies Waiting. A grand house by a still lake, snow in the foreground
The Lion Lies Waiting

Genre: Bear

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:
Book Cover: Use as Wallpaper
Use as Wallpaper
Tags:

Genre: Christmas

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:

Genre: Clockpunk

The cover for a novel named We Cry The Sea. A tall ship sailing on the open sea at sunset
We Cry The Sea
The cover to a novel named The Lion Lies Waiting. A grand house by a still lake, snow in the foreground
The Lion Lies Waiting

Genre: Comedy

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:
Book Cover: Use as Wallpaper
Use as Wallpaper
Tags:

Genre: Contemporary

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:
Book Cover: Use as Wallpaper
Use as Wallpaper
Tags:

Genre: Daddybear

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:

Genre: Heart-warming

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:

Genre: Historical Fantasy

The cover for a novel named We Cry The Sea. A tall ship sailing on the open sea at sunset
We Cry The Sea
The cover to a novel named The Lion Lies Waiting. A grand house by a still lake, snow in the foreground
The Lion Lies Waiting

Genre: Holiday

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:

Genre: Novella

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:

Genre: Pirate

The cover for a novel named We Cry The Sea. A tall ship sailing on the open sea at sunset
We Cry The Sea

Genre: Politics

The cover to a novel named The Lion Lies Waiting. A grand house by a still lake, snow in the foreground
The Lion Lies Waiting

Genre: Rom-Com

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:
Book Cover: Use as Wallpaper
Use as Wallpaper
Tags:

Genre: Romance

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:
Book Cover: Use as Wallpaper
Use as Wallpaper
Tags:
The cover for a novel named We Cry The Sea. A tall ship sailing on the open sea at sunset
We Cry The Sea
The cover to a novel named The Lion Lies Waiting. A grand house by a still lake, snow in the foreground
The Lion Lies Waiting

Genre: Short Story

The Great Santa Showdown Glenn Quigley. Two men dressed as Santa, one holding a lantern.
The Great Santa Showdown
Tags:
Book Cover: Use as Wallpaper
Use as Wallpaper
Tags:

Genre: Thriller

The cover for a novel named We Cry The Sea. A tall ship sailing on the open sea at sunset
We Cry The Sea
The cover to a novel named The Lion Lies Waiting. A grand house by a still lake, snow in the foreground
The Lion Lies Waiting

Genre: Travel

Book Cover: Use as Wallpaper
Use as Wallpaper
Tags: