A heartfelt novel of shedding secrets, facing the past, and embracing the magic of love and family by the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Where the Forest Meets the Stars.
After the untimely deaths of her aunt and mother, young Riley Mays moved from Chicago to her cousins’ Wisconsin farm. Here she found solace in caring for her extraordinary adoptive brother, exploring the surrounding wild nature, and gazing at the mystical moon―a private refuge in which she hides from her most painful memories. But ten years later, now twenty-one, Riley feels too confined by the protective walls she’s erected around herself. When a stranger enters her family’s remote world, Riley senses something he’s hiding, a desire to escape that she understands well.
Suffering from writer’s block, bestselling novelist Vaughn Orr has taken to the country roads when he happens upon the accommodating, if somewhat unusual, Mays family. He’s soon captivated by their eccentricities―and especially by Riley and her quiet tenacity. In her, he recognizes a shared need to keep heartbreaking secrets buried.
As the worst moments of their lives threaten to surface, Riley and Vaughn must find the courage to confront them if they’re to have any hope of a happy future. With the help of Riley’s supportive family, a dash of everyday magic, and the healing power of nature, can the pair let go of the troubled pasts they’ve clung to tightly for so long?
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Glendy's debut novel Where the Forest Meets the Stars was one of my favorite reads of 2019 and has been on my radar ever since. I absolutely love the cover of The Oceanography of the Moon and I think it fits the story pretty well. I had no idea what to expect when I started this book but was pleasantly surprised with the direction it went. The main characters Riley and Vaughn are complex characters and I enjoyed getting to know them better throughout the book. I love that the author takes the time to set a premise and I especially enjoyed how she incorporated the moon and nature into the story.
Riley and Vaughn are both dealing with demons and secrets from their past. When they first meet there is an attraction and most likely it is because they recognize something familiar in each other. I really enjoyed how their relationship developed. Their journey wasn't easy and my heart broke for both of them. I was really rooting for them and couldn't wait to see how the story would develop and what secrets would come to light. Another reason why I loved this book was because of the super amazing and unique side characters. Riley's family was such a huge support system and they really elevated the story in my opinion. I am a huge fan of Glendy's writing and unique plots. I can't wait to see what story she comes up with next.
I grew up in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of two public school teachers. A born naturalist trapped in a big city, I studied every creature of my parents’ tiny, wild-grown backyard. Reading, especially animal stories, was an equal passion that led to my love of writing.
Realizing a childhood dream, I left the city to major in Ecology, Ethology and Evolution at the University of Illinois in Urbana. In field biology courses, I discovered my compulsion to catch snakes and salamanders wasn’t as weird as I’d thought. During one of those classes, my first wobbly view of a vivid blue Indigo Bunting through binoculars was the moment I decided to focus on avian biology.
While working as a field biologist, I studied writing, poetry, and literature for several years. But birds eventually won over writing, and I completed a Master of Science degree. My thesis topic focused on another gorgeous blue bird, the small but magnificent Cerulean Warbler.
I have worked as an endangered bird specialist, and also served as an assistant editor for a scientific journal. I married an ornithologist who fully understands my nature-nerdiness. We left Illinois when he accepted a position at University of Florida. Since we moved, raising three children and having little time for biological work has brought me back to writing. We now live in the Florida countryside with as many birds, butterflies, and native flowers as we can lure to our little wildlife sanctuary.
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