Iona Moon

by Melanie Rae Thon

For Jay and Willie, town-dwelling sons of the local dentist and policeman respectively, adulthood starts for all of them the year that Matt Fry came back from prison. Life would never be the same again.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Roman

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Melanie Rae Thon is a Professor of English at the University of Utah.

Reviews

[Louise Casals · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un roman initiatique racontant la fin de l'adolescence de trois personnages dans l'Amérique des années 60 : Iona Moon, issue d'une famille pauvre, et deux garçons plus aisés. On y croise l'inceste, le viol, la drogue, les rapports brutaux de domination entre les classes et les sexes. Un peu sordide, mais l'écriture poétique et évocatrice de l'autrice donne du charme à ce roman dont je ne sais toutefois pas si je retiendrai davantage que de belles images.

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Non mi è piaciuto nessuno dei protagonisti e Iona Moon mi è sembrata una ragazza tanto bisognosa d'affetto ma non amata da nessuno come lei vorrebbe. La fine del libro mi pare che lasci aperta una speranza.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book still haunts me. It is an evocative masterpiece. I met Thon in Vermont and learned that her writing is also a spiritual practice grounded in each moment. A must read for anyone interested in the human experience.

[Caterina · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than just the poetry of poverty: delicate, feminist, hard. Immediately made it to the top of my favorite books list.

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melanie Rae Thon writes great stories. Some of her novel Iona Moon appeared in a collection of her short stories, and the full story is interesting. As a native of the Inland Northwest, I liked her mention of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and Spokane, WA. Iona Moon is a strong female character and lives to tell about a difficult coming of age in her small Montana home town. Each time I read a novel about Montana written by a native of Montana, I get closer to understanding the people, places and things their corner of the world.

[Stéphanie E · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est un livre rugueux comme les mains des gens de la campagne. Un livre comme remplit de scénettes, un livre couleur sépia. Il ne m'a pas laissé indifférente, l'écriture est fine. Une très jolie découverte

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

a poignant, intense masterpiece. it displays the complex inner workings of the human experience, relationships, sex, death, dreams, and small towns. Thon has a unique, vivid voice that captures the most minute details and transforms that detail into a worthy subject. there is a lot of pain and heartache in this novel, but it also serves to remind us that we have choices. and what we choose to do with our lives will determine our future.

[Phyllis Macy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a winding road of raw human pain, following its main character, Iona Moon, but also two boys she knows. The novel takes 23 chapters to build a complex story for its three protagonists, and then wraps it all up with a bow in the 24th chapter. It's a deeply depressing novel, but in a way that makes you assess your own relationships and emotions.

[Deborah Fought · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a very long book to read. I think the author was trying to really delve into the characters and maybe they’re poverty, and the characters that developed because of that poverty, but I felt it could’ve been done a little better.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about this at first but the more I read the harder it was to out down. Here you will find some heartbreakingly gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters.

[Ryk · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few books that I have reread. Glad I did. Great story and very well written.

[Seri · Rating 3 out of 5]

a little peculiar

[Arden Stockdell-Giesler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this years ago and need to reread! Portrait of a Southern rural town in all its complex grief. Always an immediate fan of anything that employs place as a character.

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had first read this story in Melanie Thon’s ‘In This Light’, became interested, and decided to buy the whole novel. I’m not quite sure what I had expected, but Iona Moon certainly is an interesting story.

The story has a very melancholic feel to it. All events in this story – romantic, exciting, sad, depressing, etc – seem to be recounted in a matter-of-fact way, but the story feels melancholic because there is so much tragedy and general sadness with few uplifting moments. If the intention is to make readers feel somber, it certainly succeeded for me.

It has a point/central theme(s) which, to be truthful, I’m only half-way sure I know, but I rather not express it directly as it seems a big part of the novel is the reader slowly coming to understand the titular character, which, in turn, leads to understanding the central theme.

I say I’m only half-way sure because it seems the story appears to go through a large thematic change ¾ of the way through making me wonder if I had either completely misunderstood the story up to that point or if I had missed the signs leading towards that understanding.

Then I reach the ending and it’s like everything turned upside down in the span of a few pages. I read the final page and was left wondering what just happened. To be honest, I wish the story had ended differently.

Overall, I do like the story enough to recommend a read. I do think it’s the kind of story that probably requires multiple readings to fully understand, but I think it is an interesting enough story on its own to read at least once.

[Chanel Earl]

Melanie Rae Thon is a very sensitive and detailed writer. I loved how she took Iona, a person who I never would have taken the time to get to know, and made her into someone beautiful. There were a few things I had trouble with, and I wouldn't give this book to children or young adults, but it was good.

[Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book probably about 3 times in high school. I should re-read it. I thought it was so amazing and such an interesting story.

[Caro_Cédric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un très beau personnage, fort et vaillant, une langue qui coule, à la fois rivière et torrent. Lu il y a plus de 10 ans, une vraie redécouverte. C'est beau, et ça fait mal.

[Kalyn Botz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book seemed all over the place and seemed to drag on and on. I hated it from page one! Would not recommend this even to my worst enemy, really bad!

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 3 out of 5]

review tomorrow