The Moon Over Lake Elmo

by Steve Thayer

From rural Minnesota, a father writes letters to his long-estranged daughter, while nine-year-old Angela endures a life of abuse and abandonment amid the violence of urban Los Angeles, in an evocative novel of family sacrifice, separation, regret, and reunion. By the author of The Weatherman. Original.

Genres: Fiction

Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

STEVE THAYER is the New York Times best-selling author of Saint Mudd, Silent Snow, and The Wheat Field. He lives in Edina, Minnesota.

Reviews

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Minnesota. Written as letters from a father to a daughter, coupled with journal entries, this novel captures the feelings and struggles of family relationships. I love Steve's writing style and even though this novel was written in distinctly different voices, his voice still shone through. This is a read-in-one-sitting sort of book.

[Dan Downing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some lucky readers may remember Thayer's "Saint Mudd" (clearly 5 Stars in my opinion) or "The Weatherman" or other novels he wrote.
This time he produced an unusual little book, one which escaped my notice for several years, then sat for a time on the shelf. Today I read it and am glad I did. Thayer imbues his short tale with insight and emotional energy common to most of us, whether as parents or children. Or both.
Written as an exchange of letters between a 10-year-old girl in Los Angles and her father who lives in Minnesota, Thayer intersperses entries from his father's diary and throws in some WWII letters for good measure. It makes for a compelling narrative.
Recommended

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Steve Thayer. I am sad I only have one more of his books to read. He is one of my favorite authors. This book is great with the perspectives of 3 very different people. The writing of thoughts makes this a very interesting story.

[Chris Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an artist, I do a lot of work involving found objects with personal meaning, either for myself but more often for others. I read this book because it was based on a diary he found from his father. What I found is that the format of the entire book is unique-- entirely composed of writings from three people (well, really four, but I don't want to give anything away): the author writing to his daughter, the daughter writing in her diary in the same time period, and a diary from the author's father from the distant past.

The story moves right along, and this is a very quick read. In fact, it goes by about as quick as a novella. If you want to read a book in a few days, this would be a nice choice! It takes you through first hand accounts of WWII and the LA riots, but mainly it is about familial relationships and the ways they pull apart and sometimes pull together.

[Karen Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little Minnesota novel that's a quick and fun read. The dialogue is indeed very Minnesotan in rhythm and vocabulary. It's fun recognizing place and company names from my youth. And I was interested to see that others (besides my family) had an incinerator in the basement where they burned their refuse. Be ready to feel like you've been duped at the end - but it doesn't really detract from the story.

I think the Goodreads and the Amazon site titles have an extra article in them - the cover says "Moon Over Lake Elmo", NOT "The Moon Over Lake Elmo."

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good story, but it was hard to read. it's all journal/letter and therefore, it's difficult to really get attached to any of the characters. The underlying story was good, but sad. It was a short book and a quick read though, so there's no reason NOT to read it. Thayer is an amazing writer and I look forward to reading more in the future!

[Mike]

Started book at 7:00 Monday evening, finished about 2.5 hours later. Quick read, only about 150 pages, but a very powerful story about a white father, his black wife (deceased), and their 10 year old daughter. Interesting use of letters and diaries to weave together a family story that spans over 50 years. Very quick read, one pot of coffee or tea and you're done!

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not a fan of "Letter style" books. But since the author is from MN and so am I, I had to read it.

[Alayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story told thru letters from multiple perspectives and time periods. I am not a fan of The Weaterman, but I enjoyed this book. Quick read.