Moonshine Promises

by John Van Rys

Traditional romantic comedies end with a wedding. Not so in Moonshine Promises. Instead, this tale begins with an elopement as teenagers Evan and Mae run off to avoid a shotgun wedding, a decision that initiates decades of marital adventures and misadventures. Narrated from Evan’s perspective, these stories navigate his fears and loves as he makes his bewildered way through life. And it’s about everything furnishing that life—from a teapot cottage in a jelly cupboard to a snow globe containing a horse-drawn sleigh carrying a miniature family through a forest.

Genres: Adult Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published July 21, 2021

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of linked short stories chronicles the relationship of Evan and Mae Mulder and the adventures they have as they start their family and eventually move from the city to a hobby farm where they raise chickens.

The stories are told with warmth and humour. The characters (especially Evan and Mae) are portrayed sympathetically and yet the reader is allowed to see their quirks and their shortcomings as well as their efforts to deal with the difficulties that arise. Evan is a caring husband and father, and yet he makes mistakes, sometimes acts impulsively and perpetrates bad puns. Mae is an equally caring wife and mother, having great understanding of her family and their needs, and yet occasionally gets exasperated. And even in her calmer moments she can loose the arrows of sarcasm on her husband.

Although this could be described as a romantic comedy, it does not follow the usual fairy-tale plot-line that ends with the couple at the altar looking forward to an existence summed up vaguely with the words "And they lived happily ever after." In fact the curtain rises after the unconventional wedding has already taken place, and from this point onward the couple seems to bounce from one crisis to another. The thing about our two protagonists that makes the reader feel sympathy for them as they face dilemmas that are by turns comical and dire is that they each have an underlying insecurity; at times this inner weakness threatens to pull them apart, while at other times it drives them together. Yes, these are real people, not an idealized prince and princess from a children's story.

So does love truly conquer all? I invite you to read Moonshine Promises to find out for yourself.

[Jeff Zell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series of short stories set around London, Ontario that follow a couple from their first meeting and marriage to near retirement age.

Evan and Mae met while in High School. A year later, she became pregnant and they chose to elope. Then came kids, then a move to the country on a fixer upper hobby farm, then the animals came, then more children came. It is quite a ride.

Van Rys gives us a realistic, occasionally laugh-out loud, portrayal of a married couple, family life, and the changes that every one goes through as time passes. I really enjoyed the stories. And, because I have a Canadian wife and Canadian relatives not far from London, I enjoyed the geographical and cultural references.

I briefly lamented that we do not have a Tim Hortons close to us because I was starting to get an urge for a coffee with a double double.

[Kim Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was written by my former colleague John Van Rys. But I kept reading because of the winsome way he describes the married life of Evan, Mae, and their children. Evan provides an honest narration of his awkwardness during courtship, the pregnancy that triggered an elopement, the adventures on their hobby farm, and his marriage decades past the honeymoon stage. The details make this story particular, but the themes, as Alice Walker says, make it universal. The last chapter was my favorite.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet read, so much love and real experiences when navigating life with the person you spend it with.