The Almost Moon begins with a woman admitting that she had just killed her elderly and ill mother. Helen Knightly had spent most of life caring for her mother in one way or another, suffering not only her mother's insults and malice as well as her mental illness. It was a thankless job resulting for a lifetime of rejection and pain. For the next 24 hours, Helen's life unravels and she remembers her life with her parents, her ex-husband, and her children. Now she's free of her mother's incessant demands, but everything dear to her could be lost in the process. This second novel from Alice Sebold (following her bestselling
The Lovely Bones) has received mixed reviews with the Rocky Mountain News saying, "
The Almost Moon is a breathless read, a dark literary thriller that delves into the psychology of mother-daughter relationships and the fallout of mental illness. It is neither a sequel to
The Lovely Bones nor a replica; instead, it ventures into startling new territory."
