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The Moth Trader
276 pages, Paperback
Published May 18, 2026
About the author
Joseph Kleinman
3 booksAs a documentary filmmaker, Joseph Kleinman was twice honored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. A produced screenplay for ABC Television, The Magic Pearl, received an Emmy® award for animation. Characters, conflicted and ensnared in political intrigue and struggle, inspire his work. The author is particularly proud to reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 12, 2026
At the end of the story, I found that the title 'The Moth Trader' was a bit limiting because it failed to capture the struggles of the other main character, the big-boned nun.
For me, the story mainly focused on the tribulations of a Canadian nun who found herself in the Philippine Catholic Church, smack in the middle of a destructive and oppressive political era.
She finds herself involved in various aspects of the people's struggles for liberation from an oppressive regime. She crosses paths with the US presence in the Philippine, a local moth trader, a rebel leader, a renown journalist, Philippine intelligence and the head of the church there.
The story starts off slow but picks up pace once you have gotten used to the clergy terms and the names of the numerous characters. The story then becomes action packed, complete with guns and the works.
The setting of time and place is well established within a clear historical framework that can be referenced.
In my opinion, the characters could have been reduced to allow for a deeper understanding of their struggles and how they fit within the political matrix of the time. For instance, it is unclear how a simple nun had such access to power brokers.
The sexual escapades of the main characters did not achieve any authenticity for me and were undeveloped enough to seem forced and like afterthoughts.
I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it for anyone interested in the question of the role of the church in a country's politics.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
For me, the story mainly focused on the tribulations of a Canadian nun who found herself in the Philippine Catholic Church, smack in the middle of a destructive and oppressive political era.
She finds herself involved in various aspects of the people's struggles for liberation from an oppressive regime. She crosses paths with the US presence in the Philippine, a local moth trader, a rebel leader, a renown journalist, Philippine intelligence and the head of the church there.
The story starts off slow but picks up pace once you have gotten used to the clergy terms and the names of the numerous characters. The story then becomes action packed, complete with guns and the works.
The setting of time and place is well established within a clear historical framework that can be referenced.
In my opinion, the characters could have been reduced to allow for a deeper understanding of their struggles and how they fit within the political matrix of the time. For instance, it is unclear how a simple nun had such access to power brokers.
The sexual escapades of the main characters did not achieve any authenticity for me and were undeveloped enough to seem forced and like afterthoughts.
I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it for anyone interested in the question of the role of the church in a country's politics.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 of 1 review