Moonshadow

by Joy Lynn Goddard

Lauren Prescott’s family secrets were buried long before she was born, during the sixties era when her great-grandparents took in a runaway girl from an Indian residential school. Her ailing grandfather, who was a teenager back then, now longs to find the girl—Rose Hill—to right a wrong before he dies. He’s ashamed of how he treated her because he recoiled from the racist climate of colonialism of the time. Haunted by the past, Lauren risks everything to go after the truth for her grandfather—even her life!

Genres: Fiction

262 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 22, 2019

About the author

Joy Lynn Goddard and her husband Daniel Pike write adult fiction that crosses mystery, romance, and suspense genres. Their first novel, Moonshadow, won a Book Excellence Award, a Reader Ready Award (Recommended Read), and a Canada Book Award. Their second, The Keepers, also won a Canada Book Award. Besides novels, they wrote Buyers, Liars, Sellers and Yellers, a collection of humorous short stories about the real estate industry.
Joy is well known for her young adult and junior fiction, with her books in schools across Canada; she also wrote Write Right, a step-by-step guide to writing a novel. She and Dan live in Belleville, Ontario, where they are currently adapting A Good Mother into a screenplay. Learn more about them by visiting www.joygoddard.com.

Reviews

[L.G. Cullens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars actually. Anymore, I only read romance, mystery, and other human bubble stories when the story highlights something naturalistically meaningful regarding the human condition.

Although this story had all the trappings of the usual human bubble stories many entertain themselves with, it also addressed the blindness, depravity, and selfishness of our colonist culture realistically, along with the minority of exceptions. The setting and a good part of the theme resonated with me.

Thus, I'd recommend this book.

[Connie Lacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to the author for crafting a novel with a compelling plot and interesting characters against the backdrop of a shameful episode in Canadian and American history. Well done. I didn’t realize that residential schools still existed as late as the sixties where Native American/First Peoples children were basically incarcerated in an attempt to stamp out their culture. I also didn’t realize how inhumane those schools were, many of them run under the auspices of the Christian church.

I ached for Rose Hill and the other children taken from their families. I rooted for Lauren as she tries to uncover the truth about her grandfather’s part in Rose Hill’s life.

A gripping story, well told, as we come to know a number of characters and learn what roles they played in this heartbreaking tale.

[Sandra J Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

After learning about her grandfather’s, Albert Cowden, failing health, budding journalist, Lauren Prescott and her mother, spend the summer at the Cowden’s residence. But when Lauren arrives, her grandfather has more than just household duties planned for her at the sprawling 6000 square foot lakeside home. Albert wants Lauren to find his long-lost love, Rose Hill, an indigenous girl he fell in love with when he was in high school. Armed with nothing but Rose’s diary and the stories her grandfather has told her, Lauren has a mystery to unravel. What became of this young woman who’d once saved her grandfather’s life and then escaped the abuse she suffered at a residential school? And what other secrets lie hidden?

It has been some time that I’ve read a story that I could not put down, that made me angry, that had me utter “Wow!” at the end of chapters, and that brought tears to my eyes. Moonshadow is that story. Though a work of fiction by author, Joy Lynn Goddard, the story about the suffering, abuse, and mistreatment of indigenous peoples in Canada at residential schools is all too real.

This is a well written, fast paced novel, with characters you will love and others you will hate. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, turning the pages, as you learn the truth. I highly recommend this book.

[Angel Sefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking, compelling story of buried secrets and regrets

Lauren is a young girl dreaming of becoming a journalist. But, when her grandfather, Albert, becomes ill, she drops everything to help her mother and grandmother take care of him. Little did she know, the buried family secrets she was about to discover that turned her world upside down.
The story of a young Indian girl named Rose, who mysteriously disappeared many years ago, comes to haunt Lauren. And it’s up to her to solve the mystery and help her grandfather find some peace.
During her quest, Lauren discovers Rose’s diary and is shocked by the horror that Canada’s Native Americans had to face and the abuse their children had to suffer.
Moonshadow is a heartbreaking story of buried secrets and tragedies, family tensions, and regrets. The shift to an earlier time provides a clear understanding of the characters and the motives behind the decisions they made.

[Lisa Hofmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one night. The beginning was a little slow, but then the heartbreaking story within the story unfolds, and I just had to know how it would end.
Rose, a little girls who's placed at a school for First Nations children, is mistreated both emotionally and physically for years. When her sister, who is abused by the Reverend who is in charge of the school, is killed under circumstances that are more than suspicious, she and a friend decide to take their fates into their own hands and escape.
It's sometimes difficult to wrap your head around the events that take place in this story, but it's a very worthwhile read. Not all wrongs that were done in the past centuries can be righted, and the open threads this story leaves reflect that, but it's a tale that leaves you with a lot of food for thought. A great book I can highly recommend to anyone who likes well-crafted and deeply moving storytelling.

[Lucinda Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

WRITTEN WITH LOVE
I was curious about this book as I remembered my visit to the First Nation reservation when I went to Canada. Not since watching the film ‘Rabbit Proof Fences’ have I been so moved. Only now the truth is spreading across the globe of the indignities fostered on young children by groups that decided how they should live and how they should behave. This book, tells in fiction, the horrors of the residential schools where First Nation children were sent to ‘civilize’ them. It should be prescribed reading in every school, and not just in Canada. I should also mention that the characters leap off the page, the settings are beautifully described, the story kept me on the edge of my seat and the words flowed seamlessly from beginning to end. A book I can highly recommend. Quite brilliant.

[Ellie Midwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I really appreciated about “Moonshadow” is that it’s not only a riveting thriller/mystery, but it’s a literary work that deals with subjects that many people are, unfortunately, ignorant of, whether willingly or not, and that aspect adds even more value to an already riveting story. Told from multiple points of view and two parallel timelines, “Moonshadow” reveals dark family secrets and helps characters discover the truth about themselves and others. When Lauren, a young girl dreaming of a career as a journalist, arrives to help her elderly and ailing grandfather Albert, she has no idea what she is about to uncover concerning his past and a mysterious girl Rose, whom he calls the love of his life and who has mysteriously disappeared many years ago. But it’s Rose’s diary that Lauren comes across that will grip at your heart and immerse you into a horrifying world of prejudice and bigotry that the Mohawk people had to deal with and the abuse the young children (Rose among them) had to suffer at the hands of the “good Christians.” At times, it was heartbreaking to read, but the more I read, the more I realized how important such untold stories are, and how we must read and talk more about the dark aspects of our past to ensure that the bigotry and hatred don’t have a place in today’s world. Brilliant storytelling, important social issues, and a wonderful conclusion to the story make “Moonshadow” a real must-read. Highly recommended to everyone!

[Karen Inkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly emotive read!

This is a moving and heartbreaking story that follows the different relationships within one family both in the past and the present day, revealing deep secrets, mystery, lost loves and tradegy.
It delves into the abuse and mistreatment of children sent to Indian residential schools in Canada in years gone by and follows a young girl was forced to live in this predudicial environment and her life beyond.
This is a beautifully written tale, fast paced captivating from the start, keep you turning those pages. It's the sort of book that you keep saying to yourself, just one more chapter, then before you know it, you've completed the book. Fantastic read with unexpected twists.

[Pallabi Sarkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moonshadow is a combination of various genres- romance, mystery & social justice. It is an extremely well written story about a young woman with a given mission i.e. to help her dying grandfather find his true love. But this book is just not a simple love story book. One can get to know a lot about the brutal truculent treatment of Canadian native american children in residential schools by white american people.
Warning: This book contains graphic adult content or sexually explicit scenarios with offensive languages.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. Thanks to the author for writing such an amazing book.

[Jane Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story, we'll researched, page turner. Gripping mystery I couldn't put it down. This is Goddards best effort yet. You definitely won't be disappointed. I can't wait for the next one. 10 stars!

[Ayezu Tamarapreye Okoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK: MOONSHADOW:A LOVE STORY BY JOY LYNN GODDARD with DANIEL PIKE

BOOK REVIEWER:OKOKO AYEZU TAMARAPREYE

SYNOPSIS
A love for family story and a reflection by different characters of the past and present and particularly happenings at Camp Moonshadow .Moon is also used to describe the eye shape.This story discusses maternal mortality;patients care and care for the pregnant;dangers of abortion by quacks;false pregnancy alarms;adoption option in cases of unwanted pregnancy; forgiveness; dangers of smoking; sports;crime;evidence as proof of crime;secrets;tailoring;archeology; special school;love;journalism;divorce and division of matrimonial property;negativity of debts and gambling; truancy;drug abuse;alcohol;care for the elderly by children taking turns; road safety; risk taking;child care;boat and water travels;shopping;discipline; rules breaking;career choice; gender change;real estate and high cost of buildings at the water front;male chastity;affluence and wealth gap between classes;water adaptability and swimming;old people home; real estate agency;amongst others.The book also questions Christianity and Bible contents whether real or impossible.It raises the question whether one could ascribe the title of Christian or church goer to one who didn't forgive and whether teachers being strict was a teachers trait or individual trait.

LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
📞Parents helping children with career choice as seen in Lauren parents warning of his journalism course
📞The negativity of always making excuse even in unwarranted times for children sparing the rod thus making them turn out wrongly or poorly brought up

📞Each class of life helps each other by offering services.

📞Partners with different traits complimenting one another as seen in Lauren's parents whose mom was all business and saved and whose dad was a slacker and spent it in crazy get rich schemes.

📞Different forms of journalism both broadcast and print

📞The use of a deed of conveyance and deed of gift in disposal of family property as seen of Charlie's mother wanting to sell off their properties and divide up assets before she dies.

📞Children don't take all traits of parents as seen in the story where Lauren and her grandfather didn't share same inclinations on risk taking.

📞Just as seen in the story some prefer to take turns as children taking care of their elderly parents while some preferred referal to the old peoples home.

📞Sundowning as memory issues in the elderly and is different from Alzheimer

📞Depression and lack of sleep as other causes of memory issue.
📞Need for preparation towards child birth.
📞Parents, teacher intervention in proper child upbringing in schools.

APPLICATION OF LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE STORY
The use of deed of gift in disposal of family property while alive seem beneficial and devoid of controversy when compared to issues arising from Wills.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moonshadow is a story that explores the lives of children within the Indian residential schools in the 60s.
I like that this story is told from different points of view, each with their own part of the story to tell. We meet Lauren who wants to be a journalist; Albert (Poppa) wants to find the love of his life but is hiding a guilty secret; Uncle Charlie who just wants the money to be his own boss; Jean who has loved Albert since she met him but hiding an even bigger secret and then there is Rose - the love of Albert’s life. First impressions – Poppa had a bit of a love triangle going on back in the day! Wrong.
Poppa gives his granddaughter Lauren the job of looking into Rose’s disappearance. He is in very poor health and wants to know what happened to her. The fact that Poppa kept Rose’s diary all these years gives me the impression that he still holds a flame for her and desperately wants to see her before it’s too late to make amends. Lauren’s investigation sets off a chain of events and not everyone is happy that she is a ‘white girl’ telling an ‘Indigenous persons story’ or a story that others see as not being hers to tell.
Rose, we learn is a Native American girl from the reserve near to where Albert’s family had a summer house. They became firm friends after Rose rescues Albert from almost drowning in the bay one summer. Through her diary, we learn what life was like for children being taken away from their families and sent to residential schools to teach them and make them forget their ‘heathen culture’. We learn of the terrible punishments and the lengths the children would go to in order to escape.
I don’t want to give too many details so as not to spoil Moonshadow for anyone reading. But it is such a lovely story, and a little sad. Moonshadow is well written and painstakingly researched – evident in the fact that the author has provided a bibliography at the end of the book for anyone wanting to find out more about the topic. Goddard has been very meticulous in her research of Indigenous issues in Canada – visiting cultural events and centres while this story was being written.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Moonshadow and would recommend it to anyone.

[M.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was curious to find out how a work of fiction based on the grim truths of the Canadian residential school system could be categorized as a love story, but Ms. Goddard has managed to weave the two themes together seamlessly.

This modern-day story follows Lauren, a young woman fresh out of journalism school who is sent to help look after her cherished grandfather who has fallen ill. During their time together at the family cottage, Lauren’s grandfather discloses how, in the early 1960s, he fell in love with an indigenous girl named Rose with whom he had a brief, but passionate courtship and with whom he regretfully ended up losing touch. He appeals to Lauren to help him find Rose with the hope of atoning for old wrongs.

Thanks to the author’s sensitive yet forthright storytelling, this book not only captures the innocence and yearning of young love but also brings to light the injustices of racism, abuse, forced assimilation, and the genocide of children—created and perpetuated, no less, by government- and church-run schools for more than a hundred years. A compelling story that will grip your heart.

[Amanda Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren Prescott returns to her family home to visit her grandfather who is ailing. As they spend time, together he tells her the story of Rose - a young Mohawk girl he met and fell in love with when they were teenagers, after he helped her when she escaped from the brutal residential school she attended.
The last part of my sentence implies that it is nothing more than a strict school but it was so much worse than that. It was a school where native children were placed after they had been taken from their parents in an attempt to beat, rape and starve the 'Indian out of them.'
The treatment of First Nation children has been well-documented and, while this is a fictional story, the author has combined it so well with this dark time in Canadian history to create a heart-wrenching novel that sheds light on the terrible things done to the indigenous peoples, along with the shame the characters in the 21st century live with.
This is an exceptionally well-written book. Well researched and it will leave you thinking about what was done to those children long after you have finished reading.

[Michael Wilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verified Purchase Format: Kindle Edition

A heartfelt and rewarding story

This is a harrowing account, throwing the spotlight on what life could be like for some indigenous children growing up in Canada in the 60s and 70s.
Intrigued by the implied mysteries awaiting, I started reading the story after lunch and found myself totally absorbed in the unfolding drama and was unable to put the book down until I had reached the final chapter in the early hours of the morning.
The story is basically about a budding journalist called Lauren Prescott who goes to stay with her ailing grandfather, Albert, and finds herself involved in uncovering a family secret buried in his past. Faced with the challenge, Lauren decides to help her grandfather who longs to track down the whereabouts of a beautiful young Mohawk girl called Rose who he met and fell in love with in his youth, despite family opposition.
The compassion of the author clearly shows throughout the story and brings to light the underlying motives and family tensions skilfully woven into the plot.
A heartfelt and rewarding story that is well worth reading.

[Kez Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book started off a little slow and took a while to get into to get into; but once I did then I had to read on and find out how how the story would end. The story is extremely well written and a heartbreaking. Moonshadow is not just a love story, or historical fiction or a thriller/mystery story and this blended genre helps to create a compelling read and sheds light on what is a harrowing and disturbing topic. ...Rose’s diary entries are amongst the most compelling aspects of this story and give an insight into the horrifying world that Rose and other native Canadian children encounter at the residential school. The characters are well written, well-rounded and believable. Highly recommended and gripping read - although be aware that the story contains graphic adult content with offensive language.

[Cynthia Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional story based on truth, Moonshadow shares the unfortunate tragedy of how the women and even children of the Mohawk Nation were treated. The scenes are heart-wrenching and bare, leaving the reader pained and, for me, unable to read on without taking time to process what I just witnessed through the authors intense writing. Much like 'Schindler's List' where the emotion of the story is as much a part of the rendering as the words, readers are privy to horrifying secrets, lies, and deceit that cannot fail to move and provoke reflection.

Lauren is young and dreams of becoming a journalist, but a family tragedy forces her to set those dreams aside. Or so she thinks. Unsuspecting, she soon discovers hidden family secrets that about a young Indian named Rose, who disappeared under questionable circumstances many years before. Lauren's journey to understand what happened leads her to Rose’s diary, which reveals the horrors she and her people faced.
.
Moonshadow is a powerful story about the injuries prejudice inflicts. It's also a potent reminder how easily such preconceptions can become accepted and even promoted.

[Jan Petrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When newly qualified journalist Lauren Prescott goes to stay with her grandparents, her ailing grandfather – Poppa –asks for her help in tracking down the love of his life. Meanwhile her devious Uncle Charlie wants to persuade Poppa and his wife to sell off their lakeside home and land in order to get his hands on their money. We are taken back to the sixties when her grandfather became involved with Rose - a beautiful Mohawk girl. Rose’s harrowing account of life in a boarding school for ‘Indians’ is shocking and her love affair with a white boy meets the disapproved of both communities. Lauren’s investigations begin to unearth family secrets that have lain buried for years.
This is an ambitious novel and I found the author’s use of multiple points of view and backstories confusing at the beginning of the book. However, as the pieces began to come together, the story became far more engaging and rewarding. Overall, a good read.

[Susan Wüthrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Canada, Lauren Prescott goes with her mother to visit her grandparents cottage at a lake by an Indian reservation near Toronto. The young woman, an aspiring reporter, soon realises her ailing grandfather has been holding onto a dark secret for many years.
He trusts no one and is reluctant to disclose the details to anyone in the family, especially his wife with whom he has a prickly relationship. He confides in Lauren and tells her about his earlier life and how he fell in love with an indigenous girl called Rose, their illicit relationship and how he did her wrong. His dying wish is for Lauren to find out what happened to her and put her ghost to rest before he dies.
I enjoyed this story very much. The words flowed easily and the pages kept turning for me, as I read with anticipation of what was to come and what had happened all those years before.
I was also interested to read this book having been born in Canada. But having not spent much time in the country, it was a revelation to find out about the prejudice (similar to what I experienced living in South Africa) and just how badly the indigenous people were/are treated. – 5 worthy stars

[Mary Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moonshadow is a book about the Indian Residential School System, which Joy Lynn Goddard has written with compassion and enlightenment. The amount of research done in order to bring this story to life, is astounding. I had expected the story to be interesting, but it was much more than that, as it gave me a better understanding of the horrible lives, the children in those schools were subjected to. To be honest, it was I book I could hardly put down. Whether a reader is interested in this particular story content, or not, Joy Goddard has written a heartwarming story around her main character. The way in which the author fluctuates between the past and the present, is done so well, the story flows evenly, which is a feat in itself. I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Carol Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Mystery with a Lesson

Oh, wow...I thought I was reading a well-written mystery about a young woman who goes to stay with her terminally ill grandfather in a cottage in the woods in Canada. What I got was a glimpse into the horrifying treatment of Native American children in North America as late as the 1960s. My heart broke for Rose, the Native American girl at the heart of this book. Every white middle-class person should read this. It will break your bubble of ignorance on this subject.

[Hafsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I am reading one of Joy's books and I have to say I am not disappointed. ! INTENSE & POWERFUL! A tear-jerking story of buried secrets, tragedies, tension and regrets. I truly enjoyed this book, the story is heartbreaking yet the characters are solidly well written, with fascinating plots that keeps you on the edge of your seat all through. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Dear Joy, I wish I can write like you, you are amazing 👏 ❤.

[Barbara Daniels Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocking!

Ms. Goddard writes a heartbreaking story of abuse and racism inflicted upon the children of the First Nations. For those who aren't aware of the treatment if the Indigenous people, Joy has done her research well and gives the readers a full painted picture of what these children had to endure at the hands of the less than well meaning Whites. Moonshadow is certainly a story of love and heartbreak but do be prepared for some unexpected twists to her tale. Highly recommended and worth more than 5 stars.

[Horlohlah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is amazing. The suspense sends shivers down my spine but in a good way and it depicts the untold Indian history in the west and I love the combination of facts with fictions.

A tale of true love amidst racial barriers and background differences. The writer could have shed more light on how Lauren's parents got back together though , instead of the vague explanation but that aside, I strongly recommended as it is a very interesting book.

[Ruth Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I read Moonshadow I am very touched by Mrs Joy Goddard book .well put together.i would recommend this book to anyone

[April Stephenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gripping Read!
Moonshadow provides a mystery to solve while also shedding light on a very real societal problem; the treatment of first nation peoples by colonizers. I really enjoyed the aspects of mystery in the book. It drew me in and kept my attention all the way through the story. The author does a great job leaving small clues to keep the reader in the game without giving too much away. It was a very interesting read but the descriptions of how poorly the Mohawk people were treated are gut-wrenching and not for the faint of heart.

[Yara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good-read finished in one sitting! Moonshadow is more than one genre! - The plot, which is set in the 60s and 70s, shows how history allowed racism to peak! The protagonist has to choose whether to let the cat out or not; does she want to know the family’s dark secret? She takes the latter course, which opens a tin of worms. It’s a disturbing read, in which Goddard has done an exceptional job in building up the plot and its characters. It’s difficult to wrap your head around the events surrounding that era; the mistreatment of the indigenous people. No wrongs of the past can ever be righted, but it does leave us with food for thought; a future generation to stand up against racism and say, enough. We have to create a world where tolerance and respect for one’s culture and faith prevails.

I highly recommend this book, which is intelligently crafted with an intense storyline.

[Adrian O’Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moonshadow explores the way the indigenous people of Canada were treated back in the 1960s alongside the modern story of the same family. The harrowing treatment of two little girls in their school reminds us all that everyone is human and should be treated as such. The author has combined the two stories well in that the reader welcomes each chapter, whether it is in the past or present time and they link up with no disjointedness. It is one of those stories which has left me thinking, and unlike a lot of books I read, won’t be instantly forgotten.

[D. Fitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joy Lynn Goddard has crafted an important work of Canadian literature with global appeal. It is an enriching story driven by the compassion of the author. You will find well developed, believable characters, a wonderful sense of place, and a cleverly plotted story line that should provoke lots of self-reflection. This is my kind of thoughtful, “true to life fiction”.
Highly recommended.

[Melody Calder · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very moving story and I enjoyed it very much.