The Girl Who Swallowed the Moon

by Melanie Gideon

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0962462691
• ISBN13: 9780962462696
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Astarte Shell Press
• Length: 191 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A Gem!

I first found this book (or should I say it found me) in a cool little bookshop in Washington DC in 2000. The title immediately grabbed me and I knew I had to read it. I was even more pleased with the book than I had guessed I'd be! I believe this would fall into the genre of Magical Realism (but not 100% sure.) The novel is divinely inspired and reminded me at times of Toni Morrison's "Beloved" (which is definitely a much larger gem). Here the focus is on healing the past hurts, and having faith. Very much goddess/pagan oriented in my opinion, but has absolutely no religious doctrine in it and should appeal to many. All the characters are women, but I did not have a problem or objection being a man and reading this. Very enjoyable.

Melanie Gideon writes a fantasy about real life

At first I wasn't sure what to make of this book, but after I realized that Ms. Gideon was writing a tale of fantasy, I was able to allow her message to reach deep into a part of me. This book is a story about overcoming the obstacles of the past: our mother's struggles, our fears, and the memories that come down to us from generation to generation which keep us from being truly human. This is a parable,teaching us that it is better to live than to give up, that it is possible to overcome the things that kept us down in the past, and that it is necessary to forgive what others have done to us. Only in forgiving and loving can we be free. A great book!

An incredible story of womanhood!

This is the most amazing book of it's kind that I've ever read. It truly puts womanhood into words that I have never heard before. This book is a great story that one MUST detach themselves to reality to read, that's what makes it so great! My mother gave me this book and I put off reading it for the longest time because I just didn't think I would be interested. But now, I have all my girlfriends and their mothers reading it. Understand that it is not for everyone, as those who cannot manage to detach themselves from reality will not understand a story that gives us a talking house, a clever river, and three travelers that reminded me of the sun, the moon, and the stars! Oh, but Gideon's writing style is so beautiful and so descriptive that you can taste the food and smell the flowers as you read!

A Powerful Examination of Womanhood

I picked up this book at a clearance sale and it has become one of my favorites. I am a great lover of fantasy works which force the reader to bring in interpretations and knowledge which they possess, so this novel was ideal for me. Gideon describes the intensely emotional bonds between women (mother/daughter, friend/friend) in a poetic and beautiful way. Told in an enchanting style of exposing only bits and pieces of the characters' stories, as is how we remember as humans, the reader weaves through the sorrow, elation and everyday life of the women in the novel. The reader becomes immersed in a world of talking houses, giddy rivers, thousand year old women, and a young girl who swallows the moon. The characters display great emotions as they tell the story of generations of pain and healing.

Beautiful, Fresh, and Strong

Melanie Gideon's The Girl Who Swallowed The Moon is one of my favorite books. Gorgeous prose style and brilliant interpretation of the Persephone/Demeter story combine to create a powerful story about mothers and daughters, and the strength of women. A tangible spirituality, a rejoicing in both the mundane and the extraordinary. I woke from this book feeling alive, refreshed, and hopeful. All women should read this book. (Men are also encouraged.) :)