The Girl Who Chased the Moon (2010) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Characters/People edit see section history

• Emily Benedict: A teenage girl who recently lost her mother, attempting to adjust to her new home in Mullaby with the grandfather she never knew. Emily wants to find out about her mother's childhood.
• Grandpa Vance: Emily's grandfather. The Giant of Mullaby. A man with a past, and a sadness he hides, he keeps himself rather hidden and difficult for Emily to relate to. He is eventually kind to Emily.
• Win Coffey: A charming young man who wants to be friends with Emily. He is her age.
• Morgan Coffey: The Mayor of Mullaby and Win's father who worried about tradition.
• Julia Winterson: Owner of J's BBQ and maker of baked goods extraordinaire. She becomes Emily's friend in a motherly sort of way.
• Sawyer Alexander: A high-school classmate of Julia's who shares a history with her.
• Beverly Dale: Julia's former step-mother who is a real "piece of work." She is quite the antagonist and one sees why she and Julia did not get along.
• Holly: Sawyer Alexander's ex-wife, who, although a member of the Sassafras, was remembered by Julia as being nice.
• Kylie Coffey: Win's sister.
• Logan Coffey: Morgan's brother. Win's uncle.
• Dulcie Shelby: Emily's mother, who left her hometown before Emily was born.
• Lilly Shelby: Emily's grandmother, who is no longer living.
• Maddie Davis: A sophomore at Georgetown.

Quotes edit see section history

• “Men of thoughtless actions are always surprised by consequences, Stella always said.”

• “If she were any more sincere, she would dissolve into fresh air and blow away.”

• “But it's like chasing the moon--just when I think I have it, it disappears into the horizon.”

  Julia

• “No one should ever compromise the dignity of another human being.”

  Emily

• “How we see the world changes all the time. It all depends on our mood.”

  Grandpa Vance

• “We get to choose what defines us.”

  Julia

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• There’s this promise of happiness out there. I know it. I even feel it sometimes. But it’s like chasing the moon—just when I think I have it, it disappears into the horizon. I grieve and try to move on, but then the damn thing comes back the next night, giving me hope of catching it all over again.”

  Highlighted by 48 Kindle customers

• adolescence is like having only enough light to see the step directly in front of you, and no farther.

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• no use dwelling on the unfixable past when there was so much you could do to fix the future.

  Highlighted by 36 Kindle customers

• “How we see the world changes all the time. It all depends on our mood.”

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• Your peers when you’re a teenager will always be the keepers of your embarrassment and regret. It was one of life’s great injustices, that you can move on and be accomplished and happy, but the moment you see someone from high school you immediately become the person you were then, not the person you are now.

  Highlighted by 35 Kindle customers

• No one should ever compromise the dignity of another human being.”

  Highlighted by 24 Kindle customers

• He didn’t often get angry at other people. There was no sense in it. The person you were angry at was rarely ever repentant. Now, getting angry with yourself had some merit. It showed you had sense enough to chastise the one person who had any hope of benefiting from it.

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• The word lethologica describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.

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• “It took me a long time to realize this: We get to choose what defines us.

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• Men of thoughtless actions are always surprised by consequences, Stella always said.

  Highlighted by 4 Kindle customers

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Mullaby: small southern town centered around BBQ
• J's Barbecue: One of many barbecue restaurants in Mullaby, differentiated by Julia's baked goods.
• Piney Woods Lake: The place where families picnic and teens hang out

Organizations edit see section history

• Sassafras: A high school group made up of girls whose families had money

First Sentence edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Thighbone Length: The length of the thighbone is indicative of overall height.
• Lethologica: Describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.
• January; The Full Wolf Moon: According to lore, under this moon, wolves would howl in hunger outside Native American villiages. When the moon is full in January, people tend to eat too much, drink too much, and play too much trying to fill the winter emptiness.
• Febuary; The Full Snow Moon: Febuary is traditionally when the heaviest snow falls. Pople often dream of places they'd rather be when they sleep under a full Snow Moon.
• March; The Full Worm Moo: In the spring, the ground softens and earthworms reappear... as do the robinswho eat them. The lure of possible getting caught while doing something daring or scandalous is hard to resist during the first full moon in March.
• April; The Full Pink Moon: This full moon marks the appearance of pink ground phlox, an early spring flower. The amount of hope in the air during a full Pink Moon makes it the best time to ask someome to marry you.
• May; The Full Milk Moon: The abundance of greenery to eat at this time of year gives cows and goats the ptential to produce rich, fortified milk. People often think they are the most attractive under the full Milk Moon.
• June; The Full Strawberry Moon: June is typically when strawberries ripen and are gathered. The best time to seek forgiveness is under the Strawberry Moon. Sweetness seems to linger during this time.
• July; The Full Buck Moon: Bucks begin to grow new antlers at this time. Young men butt heads and generally show themselves under this full July moon.
• August; The Full Sturgeon Moon: Native American lore says that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most easily caught during the full moon in August. This full moon tends to make people feel restless and overwhelmed.
• September; The Harvest Moon: This is the full moon nearest the annual equinox, bright enough to allow farmers to work late into the night, bringing in the last of their harvest. A time of introspection. People are often moody during this moon.
• October; The Full Hunter's Moon: Historically, after the harvest, with leaves falling and fields bare, it was easier to see the hunt under this full moon. If you stare at a Hunters' Moon with a question, it will become clear what has to be done.
• November; The Full Beaver Moon: Beaver traps were set during this time, before the waters froze, so furs would be in abundance for the cold months ahead. For some people, the full Beaver Moon is the last chance to do something they've wanted to do but put off, before the heaviness of winter settles in.
• December; The Full Cold Moon: The full moon heralding long, dark, cold nights ahead. Unquestionably the best sleeping moon of the year.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Sarah Addison Allen (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• RT Award (2010: Mainstream Fiction, Nominee)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: 2009042254
• Dewey: 813.6

Notes for Parents edit see section history

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Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Authors, A-Z › ( A )
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Women's Fiction › Domestic Life
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › Fairy Tales
• Books › Romance › Contemporary
• Books › Romance › Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost
• Books › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Fantasy › Urban

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