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American Moon
Not yet published
Expected 15 Sep 26Some roads are taken to escape. Others lead you straight to someone who needs you.
Austen is a man broken by his past, heading west with nothing but the faint hope of a new beginning. When he stumbles upon a baby left alone in a rundown Missouri motel, he meets Taylor, a young mother fighting addiction and poverty in a town hollowed out by the opioid crisis. In a fragile act of grace, two lost people find each other and begin the long road toward healing.
Set against the vast American landscape from Missouri to the California desert, American Moon is a novella about survival, connection, and what remains of the American Dream when everything else has fallen away.
Winner of the Fugere Book Prize for Finely Crafted Novellas.
For readers of Cormac McCarthy, Denis Johnson, and Jack Kerouac, American Moon is the road novel you have been waiting for.
Austen is a man broken by his past, heading west with nothing but the faint hope of a new beginning. When he stumbles upon a baby left alone in a rundown Missouri motel, he meets Taylor, a young mother fighting addiction and poverty in a town hollowed out by the opioid crisis. In a fragile act of grace, two lost people find each other and begin the long road toward healing.
Set against the vast American landscape from Missouri to the California desert, American Moon is a novella about survival, connection, and what remains of the American Dream when everything else has fallen away.
Winner of the Fugere Book Prize for Finely Crafted Novellas.
For readers of Cormac McCarthy, Denis Johnson, and Jack Kerouac, American Moon is the road novel you have been waiting for.
136 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 15, 2026
About the author
David W. Berner
29 books96 followersDavid W. Berner is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, author, and teacher. As a writer, he has been the recipient of awards from the prestigious Society of Midland Authors and the Chicago Writers Association. David has more than forty years experience in broadcast journalism as a reporter, anchor, news director, and program director. He has contributed to the CBS Radio Network and to public radio stations around the country, including NPR’s Weekend edition.
David has also performed live literature readings at 2nd Story, Essay Fiesta, Waterline Writers, and Sunday Salon. And regularly conducts workshops on writing and memoir.
David has also performed live literature readings at 2nd Story, Essay Fiesta, Waterline Writers, and Sunday Salon. And regularly conducts workshops on writing and memoir.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this novella.
My feelings about *American Moon* remained ambivalent all the way through. I did not hate this piece, but I did not fall in love with it, either. A man, Austen, heading west in search of fame and fortune in the LA music scene, meets Taylor, a young, single mother coming off pills. The premise of the novella was promising, but I feel as though this is a case of too big a story crammed into too little of a space. The right format for this, perhaps, would be a sweeping novel à la Barbara Kingsolver or John Steinbeck. We, the readers, would have the time to understand Taylor and Austen’s characters ourselves instead of having them simply explained to us.
That, I think, might be my biggest issue (if that’s even the right word) with this novella: the characters felt flat, to me. I knew a lot *about* them, given the chunks of exposition provided at the start of their respective perspectives, but I didn’t know *them*. I did not understand their motives and therefore didn’t understand their decisions (Taylor’s sudden decision to join Austen on a several-day expedition, Austen’s decision to take care of this mother-daughter duo). If I had known the characters better, I could understand why they chose to make the decisions they did—but these internal considerations went unexplored.
While I agree with their sentiments about the American Dream, division in the U.S., and the way atrocities against Native Americans are largely ignored, these musings didn’t seem to come from the characters themselves. The characters seemed to be vessels for the dialogue instead of the dialogue stemming from the characters. Again, if we had been given the time and space to get to know these characters, the dialogue wouldn’t have felt so jarring. There are short stories (and other novellas) in which the characters are fully fleshed out, so the length of *American Moon* isn’t necessarily the culprit for the lack of character depth, but for the sheer gravity of the events that occurred (Taylor having been recently *kidnapped*, for instance, or the deaths of Austen’s father, mother, and sister in quick succession).
*American Moon* stems from a very promising idea, but it ultimately fell flat for me.
My feelings about *American Moon* remained ambivalent all the way through. I did not hate this piece, but I did not fall in love with it, either. A man, Austen, heading west in search of fame and fortune in the LA music scene, meets Taylor, a young, single mother coming off pills. The premise of the novella was promising, but I feel as though this is a case of too big a story crammed into too little of a space. The right format for this, perhaps, would be a sweeping novel à la Barbara Kingsolver or John Steinbeck. We, the readers, would have the time to understand Taylor and Austen’s characters ourselves instead of having them simply explained to us.
That, I think, might be my biggest issue (if that’s even the right word) with this novella: the characters felt flat, to me. I knew a lot *about* them, given the chunks of exposition provided at the start of their respective perspectives, but I didn’t know *them*. I did not understand their motives and therefore didn’t understand their decisions (Taylor’s sudden decision to join Austen on a several-day expedition, Austen’s decision to take care of this mother-daughter duo). If I had known the characters better, I could understand why they chose to make the decisions they did—but these internal considerations went unexplored.
While I agree with their sentiments about the American Dream, division in the U.S., and the way atrocities against Native Americans are largely ignored, these musings didn’t seem to come from the characters themselves. The characters seemed to be vessels for the dialogue instead of the dialogue stemming from the characters. Again, if we had been given the time and space to get to know these characters, the dialogue wouldn’t have felt so jarring. There are short stories (and other novellas) in which the characters are fully fleshed out, so the length of *American Moon* isn’t necessarily the culprit for the lack of character depth, but for the sheer gravity of the events that occurred (Taylor having been recently *kidnapped*, for instance, or the deaths of Austen’s father, mother, and sister in quick succession).
*American Moon* stems from a very promising idea, but it ultimately fell flat for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2026
thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
this is a beautiful novella exploring the American opioid crisis and the American dream as it is experienced in the 2020s. i really loved the characters and felt the writer really did well with the character of Grace who is around 1 year old, sometimes it can be really off putting and unrealistic when such a young character is portrayed but she was really central to the plot without being distracting.
i thought it was a really beautiful and moving portrait of how chance and often fleeting meetings can end up having such a huge impact on the course of your life.
my only criticism is i feel Austin’s back story would have felt more central to the plot and his characterisation if it has been visited as flashbacks (or a single flashback) throughout the story as it did read as a big dumping of information. having the be reader shown this information rather than told would have elevated the reader experience, although the writing was otherwise very good.
3.5⭐️ but i have rounded up to 4
this is a beautiful novella exploring the American opioid crisis and the American dream as it is experienced in the 2020s. i really loved the characters and felt the writer really did well with the character of Grace who is around 1 year old, sometimes it can be really off putting and unrealistic when such a young character is portrayed but she was really central to the plot without being distracting.
i thought it was a really beautiful and moving portrait of how chance and often fleeting meetings can end up having such a huge impact on the course of your life.
my only criticism is i feel Austin’s back story would have felt more central to the plot and his characterisation if it has been visited as flashbacks (or a single flashback) throughout the story as it did read as a big dumping of information. having the be reader shown this information rather than told would have elevated the reader experience, although the writing was otherwise very good.
3.5⭐️ but i have rounded up to 4
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This novella was incredibly moving and enjoyable. Berner’s writing style is reminiscent of Ethan Joella, an author I’ve always appreciated.
The story revolves around Austen and Taylor’s chance encounter at a motel in a small Illinois town. Over the course of a few days, they embark on a road trip across the country with Taylor’s young daughter, and what unfolds is a beautifully crafted narrative and character study.
I particularly admired the book’s respectful and well-executed portrayal of the opioid crisis. Despite its short length, I found myself deeply engrossed in the characters and their stories.
I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This novella is scheduled to be released on September 16, 2026.
The story revolves around Austen and Taylor’s chance encounter at a motel in a small Illinois town. Over the course of a few days, they embark on a road trip across the country with Taylor’s young daughter, and what unfolds is a beautifully crafted narrative and character study.
I particularly admired the book’s respectful and well-executed portrayal of the opioid crisis. Despite its short length, I found myself deeply engrossed in the characters and their stories.
I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This novella is scheduled to be released on September 16, 2026.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews