Starlight and Moonshine

by Joseph O'Malley

In early 1980s Detroit, during the year following the drunk driving death of their alcoholic mother, a chorus of family voices grapple with haunting memories of the joys, regrets and the strains of love that will reverberate throughout all of their lives.

During a Detroit winter’s last snowfall in 1980, feeling fine after a few too many drinks, Hannah Fallon crashes her car through a cyclone fence and into an elm tree, leaving behind a messy wake of love and grief through which her family must wade in the year following her death. The story of the Fallon family, told in retrograde beginning a year out from Hannah’s death through the family members’ varying viewpoints, explores the humor, love, and rancor of a family grappling to keep their tight-knit bonds from unraveling. This elegy of family life under siege, written with Cheeveresque wit, clarity, and intensity, fulfills the promise of a long-awaited first novel.

214 pages, Hardcover

Published September 9, 2025

Reviews

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel in linked stories is perfect for fans of Joan Silber.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small debut novel. Telling the story of a family in mourning. Each chapter from a different family member’s perspective. A good first effort.