Moon Cake

by Charlie Carillo

It's the summer of '69, and the whole world is eagerly awaiting the greatest achievement in human history - men are actually going to walk on the moon! Nobody is more excited about the Apollo 11 mission than Billy Gallagher, a troubled 15-year-old from Queens, New York who lives in the shadow of his big brother, a basketball star who's been felled by a knee injury. But suddenly the spotlight is on Billy when a foolish act of vandalism gets him arrested. He's at the mercy of Mr. J, the mysterious neighborhood ice cream man whose window Billy has smashed. Mr. J chooses not to press charges, and not only that - he gives him a job, pumping soft ice cream! It's the strangest summer of Billy's life as he sweats over the moon mission, learns life lessons from his boss, harbors his brother's dark secret and agonizes over Mr. J's beautiful 18-year-old daughter, a brilliant violinist with a wild streak. She's as unreachable to Billy as the moon itself - or is she? Everything comes to a head when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon, and Billy comes up with a creation to honor the triumph of the astronauts - a creation that rocks everybody's world.

Genres: Historical Fiction

173 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2019

About the author

Charlie Carillo was a reporter, rewrite man and columnist at the New York Post for 15 years before switching to a career as a producer for the TV shows "American Journal" and "Inside Edition." He's a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post and divides his time between London and New York. Visit Charlie at charliecarillo.com

Reviews

[Steph Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but enjoyable book with some really likeable and fun characters. I do love how Carillo tells a story. However the racist attitude and language of some characters has not aged well and even though the book is set in the late sixties, it still felt uncomfortable to read such slurs.

I’ve never understood why Charlie Carillo didn’t get more recognition as an author as I’ve loved his books, especially Raising Jake.

[Susan Crowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. Beware, Grandma is a racist and says some pretty cringeworthy things at times. Other than that, it's a great book!

[MaryAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Just like all of Charlie Carillo's books, this one transported me to Queens, NY in 1969. A great read showing the best of us and the worst of us and reconciling the two.

[Jill Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book in two weeks by this author. Yes, he's that good.
This book really hit home for me. Like Billy, I too was living in Queens, NY the summer of the moon landing. I was also fascinated by everything space. I remember watching Neil Armstrong take the first step onto the moon service.
This book, the people, the way they talked, the way they acted. These were my people. I even loved Grandma. I've know a few of her kind in my day.
Once again, I have to say that Charlie Carillo is an amazing writer and story teller. How he is not on the top of the charts is beyond me.
I plan on reading his entire catalogue of work.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book popped up in my feed & while reading a few reader's reviews, one thing stood out. Those with decided right-wing political views didn't like it. That got my attention because the synopsis is about the first moon landing...huh? That was 1969 so wouldn't that be when America was great? I had to read it and I loved it. I was 17 then so I totally understood the cultural references even though I've never lived in New York. It was at times hysterically funny with teenage angst and family drama. It also had a sobering twist I didn't see coming at the very end. What's not to like, right? The truth because the book also threads racism, xenophobia, fallacies of organized religion, and gender inequalities throughout the tightly written storyline. There's the rub, even in 1969. I highly recommend this very quick read.

[Dennis O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best day of my 2019 summer was spent reading Moon Cake by Charlie Carillo. I truly loved this novel. The title is intriguing enough (and it will make sense by the end, I promise) but the story is one which feels like your best friend telling you a wonderful tale so full of delicious details that you'll never forget a single moment. I can't tell you what happens without spilling spoilers all over the page so what I will do is list some of the words that come to mind when describing Moon Cake. Here goes: Moving, Suspenseful, Touching, Surprising, Nostalgic, Sexy, Honest, Sweet, Mysterious, Smart, and oh so Satisfying. Take that, blurb writers! I went from hilarious laughter at some of the sharp dialogue to unexpected tear falls at some of the tender points. Truth is, I regard every Carillo book as a treasure (please check out his others) but this one will hold a special place in my heart. I think it will do the same for you.