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Sing Down the Moon
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This book will appeal to readers of Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied Sing, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, and Karen Russell’s Swamplandia.
Memory is a ghost, and she's coming home.
Sixteen-year-old Leontyne Skye longs to escape Good Hope, a barrier island off the coast of Georgia—and the cursed birthright that binds her to it. For generations, the women of the Skye line have tended Damascus, an ancient fig tree whose siren song lures the dead across the river. The figs it bears are harvested to create Redemption, a drug that tethers the island to the dead, slowly consuming the Skye women from the inside out.
Leontyne’s mother, Eulalee, is already disappearing—memory, hair, teeth—into the salt-stung air. And Leontyne is unraveling too, since the accident known as Tribulation Day, when she lost her hand and all sense of who she was before. As her memories resurface in fractured pieces, and her childhood friends, Rebecca and Avery, twist truth to their own ends, Leontyne faces a cruel inheritance aiming to destroy her.
When Journey Wintergarden arrives, mysterious and magnetic, precarious relationships unravel, threatening to upend everything, derailing Leontyne’s plans to escape Good Hope. As desire, betrayal, and memory collide, the haints grow restless. Leontyne’s refusal to tend the tree means shattering the fragile balance between the living and the dead. Accepting her fate means becoming the Great Redeemer—and losing herself completely.
Memory is a ghost, and she's coming home.
Sixteen-year-old Leontyne Skye longs to escape Good Hope, a barrier island off the coast of Georgia—and the cursed birthright that binds her to it. For generations, the women of the Skye line have tended Damascus, an ancient fig tree whose siren song lures the dead across the river. The figs it bears are harvested to create Redemption, a drug that tethers the island to the dead, slowly consuming the Skye women from the inside out.
Leontyne’s mother, Eulalee, is already disappearing—memory, hair, teeth—into the salt-stung air. And Leontyne is unraveling too, since the accident known as Tribulation Day, when she lost her hand and all sense of who she was before. As her memories resurface in fractured pieces, and her childhood friends, Rebecca and Avery, twist truth to their own ends, Leontyne faces a cruel inheritance aiming to destroy her.
When Journey Wintergarden arrives, mysterious and magnetic, precarious relationships unravel, threatening to upend everything, derailing Leontyne’s plans to escape Good Hope. As desire, betrayal, and memory collide, the haints grow restless. Leontyne’s refusal to tend the tree means shattering the fragile balance between the living and the dead. Accepting her fate means becoming the Great Redeemer—and losing herself completely.
333 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 3, 2026
6 people are currently reading
4828 people want to read
About the author
Robert Gwaltney
4 books167 followersRobert Gwaltney, award winning author of southern fiction, is a graduate of Florida State University. He resides in Atlanta Georgia with his partner, where he is an active member of the Atlanta literary community. By day, he serves as Vice President of Easter Seals North Georgia, Inc., Children Services, a non-profit supporting children with disabilities and other special needs. Robert’s work has appeared in such publications as The Signal Mountain Review and The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. Robert also serves as Prose Editor for The Blue Mountain Review. His debut novel, The Cicada Tree, won the Somerset Award for literary fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 27, 2025
There’s an almost Dickensian denseness to Robert Gwaltney's lyrical writing that invites a savor-every-turn-of-phrase reading. Happy to report, his Sing Down the Moon is no different. This lavish, beautifully-told ghost story is populated with characters who hover between the living and the dead in a dimly lit world that is both frightening and funny. His characters want what they want with a mighty need, always tempered by Gwaltney’s hand with a tender humanity. One can't help but root for them as they journey through this tale that sits, uniquely, at the intersection of Southern Gothic, Magical Realism, family drama, and coming-of-age story-telling.
November 28, 2025
This is a beautifully rich story. There is a magic in Robert's writing that paints the most enthralling narratives and characters.
November 29, 2025
I loved The Cicada Tree, and I was so thrilled to be back in the grasp of Gwaltney’s prose with this novel. Southern gothic, dreamlike, and with singular characters that make the fantastical feel real— Sing Down the Moon is exceptional.
November 25, 2025
this book was beautiful. It's not a quick read, take your time and it eventually comes together. Reminded me a bit of Wicked Temper by Randy Thornhorn
December 2, 2025
Robert Gwaltney’s novel Sing Down the Moon is as southern gothic as Flannery O’Connor’s typewriter. It is a story with depth, painted with fat over lean, with masterful layering and blending, at times dark, and at other times colorful. He takes storytelling to a different level.
I was lured into the tale by Damascus and by Leontyne Skye.
Damascus is huge and magical, a tree that entices souls from across the river. When I envision the tree’s roots, I see tentacles bulging from the soil, reaching into a marsh of both good and evil. It is a tree deserving of its name. Damascus.
Damascus produces Sara figs. Such an innocent sounding name: Sara figs. But an addictive drug called Redemption is derived from Sara figs, the fruit of Damascus, the drug of the marsh.
Leontyne Skye lives in this place. She is a young teenage girl who has no choice but to watch her mother decay and disappear, bit by bit, one vital part at a time. Hair and teeth. Even memory.
It isn’t easy for Leontyne to watch Redemption destroy so many. And in this marsh, it sure isn’t easy to tell the truth from a downright lie.
This beautifully told story is unlike anything I have read. It bleeds into the styles of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Anthony Doerr, and Alice Hoffman. If it were a painting it would hang in the company of Marc Chagall, Vincent van Gogh, and Ivan Albright.
Sing Down the Moon is a masterpiece.
I was lured into the tale by Damascus and by Leontyne Skye.
Damascus is huge and magical, a tree that entices souls from across the river. When I envision the tree’s roots, I see tentacles bulging from the soil, reaching into a marsh of both good and evil. It is a tree deserving of its name. Damascus.
Damascus produces Sara figs. Such an innocent sounding name: Sara figs. But an addictive drug called Redemption is derived from Sara figs, the fruit of Damascus, the drug of the marsh.
Leontyne Skye lives in this place. She is a young teenage girl who has no choice but to watch her mother decay and disappear, bit by bit, one vital part at a time. Hair and teeth. Even memory.
It isn’t easy for Leontyne to watch Redemption destroy so many. And in this marsh, it sure isn’t easy to tell the truth from a downright lie.
This beautifully told story is unlike anything I have read. It bleeds into the styles of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Anthony Doerr, and Alice Hoffman. If it were a painting it would hang in the company of Marc Chagall, Vincent van Gogh, and Ivan Albright.
Sing Down the Moon is a masterpiece.
January 6, 2026
What I describe as a southern gothic through the eyes of someone going through a manic episode. I truly had no idea what was actually going on through the whole book.
While knowing the author wrote this way on purpose. So to be this confused while knowing it was meant to disorientate, is somewhat annoying because I never really caught on to the story and after a while I stopped caring to catch on.
2.75/3
While knowing the author wrote this way on purpose. So to be this confused while knowing it was meant to disorientate, is somewhat annoying because I never really caught on to the story and after a while I stopped caring to catch on.
2.75/3
Review of advance copy received from Author
Oh my what a gorgeous book! Robert writes the most beautiful words and story that had me completely drawn into the world of Good Hope Island. This is not a book to be read quickly but needs to be read slowly to savor every beautiful page. I loved his first book The Cicada Tree and his sophomore novel does not disappoint!!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sing Down the Moon by Robert Gwaltney is an intentionally disorienting that asks the reader to surrender to uncertainty. The story follows sixteen-year-old Leontyne Skye, who longs to escape Good Hope, a barrier island off the coast of Georgia, and the cursed inheritance that binds her to it. For generations, the women in her family have tended Damascus, an ancient fig tree whose song lures the dead across the river. The figs it bears are used to create Redemption, an addictive drug that tethers the living to the dead and slowly consumes the Skye women from the inside out.
Leontyne’s mother is already disappearing, losing pieces of herself to memory and decay, and Leontyne is unraveling too after the accident known as Tribulation Day. She wakes with no memory of who she was before, missing her hand and surrounded by people who refuse to tell her the truth about what happened. Because the protagonist knows so little, the reader does too, and the story unfolds through fragments, withheld information, and shifting loyalties. Each chapter feels like receiving breadcrumbs rather than answers, slowly guiding you toward an understanding of the island, its magic, and the cost of survival.
The prose is ephemeral and poetic, with language that feels almost otherworldly. Gwaltney’s writing is strikingly unique, but that lyricism also adds to the difficulty of following the narrative. There is sometimes little clarity in what you are reading, and the sense of confusion feels purposeful, mirroring Leontyne’s fractured memory and the unstable world she inhabits.
This is not a book that holds your hand. It demands patience, trust, and a willingness to sit with ambiguity. For readers who enjoy experimental structure, folklore-infused storytelling, and prose-forward novels, Sing Down the Moon offers a haunting and atmospheric experience. For others, the lack of clarity may feel challenging. Either way, it is a novel that lingers long after the final page.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Leontyne’s mother is already disappearing, losing pieces of herself to memory and decay, and Leontyne is unraveling too after the accident known as Tribulation Day. She wakes with no memory of who she was before, missing her hand and surrounded by people who refuse to tell her the truth about what happened. Because the protagonist knows so little, the reader does too, and the story unfolds through fragments, withheld information, and shifting loyalties. Each chapter feels like receiving breadcrumbs rather than answers, slowly guiding you toward an understanding of the island, its magic, and the cost of survival.
The prose is ephemeral and poetic, with language that feels almost otherworldly. Gwaltney’s writing is strikingly unique, but that lyricism also adds to the difficulty of following the narrative. There is sometimes little clarity in what you are reading, and the sense of confusion feels purposeful, mirroring Leontyne’s fractured memory and the unstable world she inhabits.
This is not a book that holds your hand. It demands patience, trust, and a willingness to sit with ambiguity. For readers who enjoy experimental structure, folklore-infused storytelling, and prose-forward novels, Sing Down the Moon offers a haunting and atmospheric experience. For others, the lack of clarity may feel challenging. Either way, it is a novel that lingers long after the final page.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 24, 2026
BOOK REVIEW — Sing Down the Moon by Robert Gwaltney
Haunting, atmospheric, but slower than I expected.
Characters:
🌙 Leontyne Skye — determined, conflicted, and carrying the weight of her family’s curse
🌊 Journey Wintergarden — mysterious and intriguing
🕯 Rebecca & Avery — complicated friendships with shifting loyalties
Vibes:
• southern gothic
• eerie island setting
• family curses
• ghosts & the dead lingering
• memory loss
• dark secrets
• betrayal
• atmospheric and emotional
What the story gives:
Good Hope is an island tied to the dead, and the Skye women have always paid the price.
Leontyne is trying to escape a destiny she never asked for. The ancient fig tree, Damascus, calls the dead across the river, and the fruit it produces fuels Redemption — the drug that binds the island to the spirits. But every generation of Skye women is slowly destroyed by it.
After the accident known as Tribulation Day, Leontyne is left piecing together fractured memories while watching her mother disappear piece by piece. When Journey Wintergarden arrives and long-buried truths start surfacing, the fragile balance of the island begins to crack.
Now Leontyne has a choice: run from her fate or become the very thing that might destroy her.
What I Liked:
• the eerie southern gothic atmosphere
• the unique mythology around the fig tree
• the mystery of the island
• emotional themes about memory and inheritance
What didn’t fully work for me:
• pacing felt slow at times
• some parts dragged in the middle
• I wanted a bit more clarity with certain plot points
Final Vibe:
Moody, mysterious, and atmospheric. While the pacing slowed things down for me, the concept and setting were still really interesting. 🌙📚
Haunting, atmospheric, but slower than I expected.
Characters:
🌙 Leontyne Skye — determined, conflicted, and carrying the weight of her family’s curse
🌊 Journey Wintergarden — mysterious and intriguing
🕯 Rebecca & Avery — complicated friendships with shifting loyalties
Vibes:
• southern gothic
• eerie island setting
• family curses
• ghosts & the dead lingering
• memory loss
• dark secrets
• betrayal
• atmospheric and emotional
What the story gives:
Good Hope is an island tied to the dead, and the Skye women have always paid the price.
Leontyne is trying to escape a destiny she never asked for. The ancient fig tree, Damascus, calls the dead across the river, and the fruit it produces fuels Redemption — the drug that binds the island to the spirits. But every generation of Skye women is slowly destroyed by it.
After the accident known as Tribulation Day, Leontyne is left piecing together fractured memories while watching her mother disappear piece by piece. When Journey Wintergarden arrives and long-buried truths start surfacing, the fragile balance of the island begins to crack.
Now Leontyne has a choice: run from her fate or become the very thing that might destroy her.
What I Liked:
• the eerie southern gothic atmosphere
• the unique mythology around the fig tree
• the mystery of the island
• emotional themes about memory and inheritance
What didn’t fully work for me:
• pacing felt slow at times
• some parts dragged in the middle
• I wanted a bit more clarity with certain plot points
Final Vibe:
Moody, mysterious, and atmospheric. While the pacing slowed things down for me, the concept and setting were still really interesting. 🌙📚
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2025
I read an early copy of this book and offered the author this following blurb:
Sing Down the Moon is a wholly original, ambitious, and lyrical southern gothic fantasy that is both tantalizing and immersive. Gwaltney’s imagination soars in this epic story centered around a young girl named Leontyne Skye who struggles to come to terms with her birthright while navigating the complex environment of a mythical Georgia barrier island where trickery, lies and deceit are as abundant as quicksand and moonbeams. An enchanting and alluring read - I loved it.
Beyond the blurb: Gwaltney's command of the English language is something to behold. He's a poet as well as a novelist, and has this ability to string together these beautiful sentences which sometimes makes me stop and re-read them a few times. (Think of Ocean Vuong's style.) Having a command, a sense of what dances together on the page, this word with that, quite simply elevates his prose from the everyday wordsmith to a master.
Don't get me started on Gwaltney's imagination and the way he creates these other worlds as a stage for his equally engaging his characters. You should read Sing Down the Moon for all of the above, but also because you'll find the sublime story of young Leontyne Skye as mesmerizing as anything you've read lately.
Sing Down the Moon is a wholly original, ambitious, and lyrical southern gothic fantasy that is both tantalizing and immersive. Gwaltney’s imagination soars in this epic story centered around a young girl named Leontyne Skye who struggles to come to terms with her birthright while navigating the complex environment of a mythical Georgia barrier island where trickery, lies and deceit are as abundant as quicksand and moonbeams. An enchanting and alluring read - I loved it.
Beyond the blurb: Gwaltney's command of the English language is something to behold. He's a poet as well as a novelist, and has this ability to string together these beautiful sentences which sometimes makes me stop and re-read them a few times. (Think of Ocean Vuong's style.) Having a command, a sense of what dances together on the page, this word with that, quite simply elevates his prose from the everyday wordsmith to a master.
Don't get me started on Gwaltney's imagination and the way he creates these other worlds as a stage for his equally engaging his characters. You should read Sing Down the Moon for all of the above, but also because you'll find the sublime story of young Leontyne Skye as mesmerizing as anything you've read lately.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Have you ever experience a fever dream?
During a recent bout with pneumonia, I did and it's otherworldy.
And it's the same experience I felt reading this book.
I went into this pretty blind after receiving a copy from GetRedPR and will say, this book does NOT "grab you and show you".... it confuses, entices and leaves a trail of breadcrumbs to follow.
The story follows sixteen-year-old Leontyne Skye, one of a long line of women who have tended to Damascus, an ancient fig tree whose song lures the dead across the river. The figs it bears are used to create Redemption, an addictive drug that tethers the living to the dead and slowly consumes the Skye women from the inside out.
We meet Leontyne when she awakes with no memory of an event that left her missing a hand, and surrounded by people who won't share what happened.
This story literally unfolds, there's no other way to explain it, you simply wait as each pebble of information: the magic of the island, the tree's power and the truth of the Skye women and their part....it all comes together like the folds of an origami swan.
Worth the patience, I recommend and thank GetRedPR and the author for the chance to read! Look for this on March 3rd.
During a recent bout with pneumonia, I did and it's otherworldy.
And it's the same experience I felt reading this book.
I went into this pretty blind after receiving a copy from GetRedPR and will say, this book does NOT "grab you and show you".... it confuses, entices and leaves a trail of breadcrumbs to follow.
The story follows sixteen-year-old Leontyne Skye, one of a long line of women who have tended to Damascus, an ancient fig tree whose song lures the dead across the river. The figs it bears are used to create Redemption, an addictive drug that tethers the living to the dead and slowly consumes the Skye women from the inside out.
We meet Leontyne when she awakes with no memory of an event that left her missing a hand, and surrounded by people who won't share what happened.
This story literally unfolds, there's no other way to explain it, you simply wait as each pebble of information: the magic of the island, the tree's power and the truth of the Skye women and their part....it all comes together like the folds of an origami swan.
Worth the patience, I recommend and thank GetRedPR and the author for the chance to read! Look for this on March 3rd.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
When I found out that Robert Gwaltney had a new book coming out, I had to get my hands on it. I absolutely adored The Cicada Tree, and I could not wait to dive into his newest. It is brilliantly written, lyrical, poetic, and entices the soul. It took me a minute to get into this one.
Good Hope Island off the coast of Georgia is the place where the dead are lured across the river. In hopes for salvation and a drug that they call Redemption. Leontyne Sky is looking for a way off Good Hope and away from the mess that she was born into. Leontyne is watching her mother vanish before her very eyes and she does not want that to happen to herself. Will she finally be able to step off this island and into a different life?
This is a book you want to take your time with. It is not a book you can push through. Thank you to Robert Gwaltney, Mercer University Press, and Get Red PR for my gifted copy.
Good Hope Island off the coast of Georgia is the place where the dead are lured across the river. In hopes for salvation and a drug that they call Redemption. Leontyne Sky is looking for a way off Good Hope and away from the mess that she was born into. Leontyne is watching her mother vanish before her very eyes and she does not want that to happen to herself. Will she finally be able to step off this island and into a different life?
This is a book you want to take your time with. It is not a book you can push through. Thank you to Robert Gwaltney, Mercer University Press, and Get Red PR for my gifted copy.
Review of advance copy
Sing Down the Moon by Robert Gwaltney is a beautifully written novel with an incredible premise. I genuinely wanted to fall completely in love with it. the story itself is powerful, rich in atmosphere, and filled with the haunting qualities that make Southern Gothic so special. Unfortunately, it just didn’t resonate with me as deeply as I hoped it would.My main struggle was with the author’s highly poetic writing style. While undeniably gorgeous, it was challenging for me to stay engaged because I’m not a big fan of reading poetry (though I do enjoy listening to it!). That said, I truly believe this is a “me” issue rather than a flaw in the book. For readers who appreciate lyrical, poetic prose, this story will likely be an unforgettable experience.The storytelling itself is extraordinary; emotional, evocative, and steeped in southern atmosphere. Sing Down the Moon is a book that lovers of poetic writing will devour. For me, it was simply a matter of taste, not quality.
December 20, 2025
Sing Down the Moon is one of those novels that needs to be savored slowly to appreciate the skillfully structured plot, the richly developed characters and the poignantly poetic language. The story, a mix of Southern Gothic, fantasy and coming of age, is about sixteen year old Leontyne Skye who is desperately trying to escape Good Hope, a place in between life and death, while also seeking the truth about what transpired on “Tribulation Day” when she lost a hand. Her odyssey is riddled with madness and maelstrom, and readers experience her fractured memories, pain and confusion through Gwaltney’s unique structure. His use of religious imagery and literary allusions contribute to the sheer brilliance of this novel . Sing Down the Moon is not just another novel to read, it’s a fantastical experience!
Review of advance copy
This is one of those books that feels less like you’re reading it and more like you’re drifting through it slightly disoriented, completely enchanted, and maybe a little haunted by the time you surface.
Sing Down the Moon leans hard into lush, lyrical prose and Southern gothic atmosphere. The barrier island setting practically breathes humid, heavy with secrets, and humming with generational trauma. Leontyne’s journey through memory, truth, and legacy isn’t always straightforward (and neither is the storytelling), but that hazy, dreamlike quality is part of the magic.
Fair warning: this is not a fast, plot-driven read. It’s layered, symbolic, and occasionally demands patience. But if you love character-driven stories soaked in mood and metaphor, the emotional payoff is worth it.
Moody. Beautiful. A little unsettling. Exactly the kind of story that lingers.
Sing Down the Moon leans hard into lush, lyrical prose and Southern gothic atmosphere. The barrier island setting practically breathes humid, heavy with secrets, and humming with generational trauma. Leontyne’s journey through memory, truth, and legacy isn’t always straightforward (and neither is the storytelling), but that hazy, dreamlike quality is part of the magic.
Fair warning: this is not a fast, plot-driven read. It’s layered, symbolic, and occasionally demands patience. But if you love character-driven stories soaked in mood and metaphor, the emotional payoff is worth it.
Moody. Beautiful. A little unsettling. Exactly the kind of story that lingers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
It's a difficult road for Leontyne Skye on the barrier island of Good Hope where haints and humans live in tandem. The Sing Down the Moon characters, including the twins Rebecca and Avery, have complex desires and Leontyne must come to understand their roles in her life and recover her memory of what happened on Tribulation Day two years past. In rich and lush prose, Gwaltney engulfs the reader in a southern gothic tale that continues to surprise throughout. Will Leontyne understand why she carries her severed hand--named Mirabelle-- in a coffee can? Like the ghosts in George Saunders's Lincoln in the Bardo their existence show us the painful reckoning in that liminal space between life and death. Sing Down the Moon is an immersive experience I highly recommend!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was drawn to this book by the mystery and eeriness portrayed in the description, and it delivered! On top of that, I loved the depth of these characters. I will admit, it took me some time to get into the poetic style of writing. However, the style of writing lends itself well to the overall mood of this book. There were plenty of times I was confused, but felt it was meant to be that way and was invested in finding out what happened with the characters.
Review of advance copy received from Author
From the opening scene, Gwaltney's haunting lyrical tone pulls you in, weaving the reader into the heart and soul of characters so viscerally real and present they dare you to try to forget them. As a rising master in the gothic sphere and a powerhouse in Southern literature, capturing a voice and region in surprising and profound ways, Gwaltney's skill and gentle care with language should earn him a revered place in any personal collection.
November 28, 2025
With his novel, Sing Down The Moon, Robert Gwaltney is vying for heir apparent to Georgia's own Flannery O'Connor. He's created characters — singular, quirky, magical — that will ignite your imagination. And told in language, so filled with poetry and awe, it will flat out weave its web around you. Prepare to be delighted in this spectacular Georgia tale.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
tense, dark, and intense book with an effective folklore vibe and some wonderful plotting throughout. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
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November 28, 2025
Sing Down the Moon is a beautifully written coming of age story with the perfect blend of magical realism and good old fashioned storytelling. This is a book you'll want to read in 2026.
November 28, 2025
An amazing novel with a deliciously dark story. The language is beautifully crafted. Enter into a lowcountry world like you have never seen before.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews