Moon Water

Pam
Webber
Genre: 
Historical

In the summer of 1969, Nettie should be being baptized, applying for college, and figuring out if her relationship with her long-time boyfriend has a chance. Unfortunately, her blunt temperament has gotten her in trouble with her preacher, her boyfriend wants to know if she loves him before they go further and her best friend Win’s Monacan Indian grandmother has predicted trouble at the end of summer that she and Win will have to face. To arm the girls with the necessary skills to face the challenge, Nettie and Win must build their own dream catchers and learn about their own faith and abilities before summer ends. Can one summer be long enough to enable the girls to face an unknown darkness and the trials of their lives, or will the coming darkness swallow them whole?

A spectacular YA journey of self-discovery, “Moon Water” is a tale of Christian faith, Native beliefs, and the trials of life. Focusing on Nettie, the story brings the small town and life of the late sixties into focus even as she wrestles with a number of internal struggles. Despite a lack of character description to picture the scene, the romance is intriguing because it is more about the relationships Nettie has with several people than just attraction she feels for her boyfriend. In fact, although there is one scene involving attempted rape as part of the conflict, the sex is kept minimal and is involved more as a topic of growing up than to fuel the romance. Further, the balance between Christian beliefs and Native traditions and beliefs is smoothly done and aids character development. Overall, this is a great read for teens and adults!

Sarah E Bradley