When fifteen year old Grace Grey left London with her chaperone, Rose Munro, it was 1939 and they were escaping to Tasmania to live with Uncle Marcus and Aunt Olive for the duration of the war. Grace's mother had no love for her daughter, her cold and aloof manner, as well as the words, keeping Grace with no faith in herself. She was unloveable, as her mother had always said - but slowly, in the home called Towerhurst, Grace gradually shed that skin. Meeting a young Daniel McGillycuddy and his good friend Puds saw her blossom. But war was to call Daniel and Puds...

Willow and Ben Hawkins, newly married in 1975, were gobsmacked when they inherited a home in western Tasmania from an anonymous benefactor. The moon gate was fascinating; the waterfall and dense bush, the bird song - but the home had been neglected; there would be work to be done.

Libby Andrews was only ten years old when she first saw Towerhurst but was only there for a matter of hours. Her mother, Willow, was in a strange mood as they left to head back home. When Libby was in her twenties, she travelled to London in 2004 to follow in her father's footsteps, to search for the past. There was so much to learn, so much to discover. But she didn't expect to find what she did.

The Moon Gate by Aussie author Amanda Geard is spectacular! Fiction blended with fact, and at just over 500 pages, it was long - but the words sped by, capturing me from the first page to the last. The characters are well written, the verbal descriptions such that I was there, in that beautiful setting in Tasmania; in London at Grosvenor Square; in Kerry, Ireland among its delicate beauty. I was so pleased that what I wanted to happen, did. But I didn't expect the clever twist at the end! This is my first by this author, and now I have to search out her first novel, The Midnight House Highly recommended.

With thanks to Simone Corletto at Hachette AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.2023-release 3500-2023 arc ...more42 s1 comment theliterateleprechaun1,677 27

Amanda Geard’s masterful writing seeps into every corner of this evocative, enveloping, and unforgettable mystery!

She quickly pulled me in and kept me spellbound for the entirety of her multi-timeline story (1939, 1975, and 2004) spanning three generations and set in three places dear to her heart; London, Tasmania, and County Kerry. I was in awe of how she continues to display her mastery of the triad of writing; setting, character, and plot. Each is fully developed and layered and I truly felt I was exploring stately homes and wandering the rainforests or heather-covered hills with her characters. Libby, Grace, and Willow’s stories examined love, war, and sacrifice and were each seamlessly stitched together with soul-searching poetry and secrets.

If you haven’t experienced the thrill of reading Geard’s books, what are you waiting for? You’ve been forewarned: this book will take longer than usual to finish because you’ll be re-reading sections just to experience the magical pull of the prose.

There is no doubt that the author’s geology knowledge, love of poetry, and time spent at each location contributed to the success of this book. Geard’s technique and nuances, added to these three influences, take this story to the next level.

This twisty, atmospheric, and magical book needs to be front and center on your night table!

I was gifted this copy by Headline and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review. 2023-reads netgalley25 s2 comments Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves 980

The Moon Gate is a rich, multi-layered story with an intricate tale spanning three generations. Complex characters in three evocative locations and with a plot that testifies to Amanda’s mastery in storytelling.

“Come on, tell me. An old house in the rainforest, a secret legacy, some hidden history her mum wouldn't talk about.”

This is a book that I can’t even begin to imagine how it was possible to weave it all together into such a riveting and successful story. There is 2004 as Libby searches for answers about her father, Ben’s, death. There is 1975 when Ben is alive and seeks to unravel the mystery and identity of Towerhurst - an old house on the rugged Tasmanian west coast. Finally, there is 1939 when two young women, Grace and Rose, are sent away from London and the advancing threats of Nazi Germany to a distant relative in the house called Towerhurst.

‘… the moon gate … stepping through it was walking into another life. A rebirth … he'd realised just how circular human existence was, and that no matter how hard you tried to shake off the past it was always there, coiling round the years, holding them tight.’

Three timelines - I don’t think I have ever attempted a read such as this. All related, all linked - intricate puzzle pieces in a slowly unfolding mystery. Now this did mean I had to pay attention - closely! This interwoven, multigenerational mystery will be a challenge but well worth it for the end result. The characters both main and secondary and the locations from west coast Tasmania, to London, to Ireland's county Kerry are rich and inviting. The writing ties it all wonderfully well in a masterclass of historical fiction.

‘It seems silly, doesn't it, that we spend all this time in life not saying things to people that we should, and then it's too late?’

The Moon Gate is definitely in the category of a sweeping saga inclusive of all the romance, heartbreak with family drama and mystery. The twists and turns will unfold in this highly ambitious tale, with some definite surprises. A wonderful and encapsulating read for lovers of this genre.

‘Everything that happens to us, everything we do, weaves into the future as though we're sewing ourselves together with invisible threads.’






This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

6 s Aj Yogi126 4

3.75
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