The Half Moon

Malcolm Gephardt, handsome and gregarious long-time bartender at The Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar, and when his boss is finally ready to retire, Malcolm stretches to buy the place. He sees unquantifiable magic and potential in The Half Moon and hopes to make it a bigger success, but quickly realizes that his customers don't like change.

His wife Jess is smart and confident and has devoted herself to her law career. But after years of trying to have a baby, she's struggling to accept the idea that motherhood may not be in the cards for her. Like Malcolm, she feels her youth beginning to slip away from her, and while her hopes and expectations fall short of the current reality, she wonders how to reshape her life.

Award-winning author Mary Beth Keane's new novel The Half Moon takes place over the course of a week when Malcolm learns shocking news about Jess, a patron of the bar goes missing, and their town gets hit by a blizzard, trapping everyone in place. With a deft eye and generous spirit, Keane once again explores a marriage in crisis, what it means to make a life with another person, and what it means to be a family.