Kerry Malawista
MEET THE MOON
ABOUT THE BOOK
In 1970, thirteen-year-old Jody Moran wants pierced ears, a kiss from a boy, and more attention from her mother. It's not fair. Seems like her mother is more worked up about the Apollo 13 astronauts, who may not make it back to earth safely. As it happens, the astronauts are spared a crash landing, but Jody is not, for three days after splashdown, her mother dies in a car accident. Now, Jody will never know if her mother really loved her. Jody's father has taught them to believe in the 'Power of Intention.' Announce what you want to the world to make it happen. But could the power of Jody's jealousy and anger have caused Mom's accident? To relieve her guilt and sadness, she devotes herself to mothering her three younger siblings and helping Dad, which quickly proves too much for her, just as persuading quirky Grandma Cupcakes to live with them proves too much for Grandma. That's when Jody decides to find someone to marry her father, a new mom who will love her best. Jody reads high and low to learn about love, marriage and death. For her adolescent firsts-kiss, bra, and boyfriend-she has the help of her popular older sister, her supportive father, and comical Grandma. But each first, which makes her miss her mother, teaches her that death doesn't happen just once.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kerry Malawista is a writer and psychoanalyst in Potomac, Maryland . She is co-chair of The New Directions in Writing program. Her essays have appeared nationally in newspapers, magazines and literary journals including "The New York Times" , "The Washington Post" ," Zone 3", "Washingtonian Magazine", "The Huffington Post", "Bethesda Magazine", "Arlington Magazine", "The Account Magazine", and "Delmarva Review", which nominated her for a Pushcart Prize. She is the co-author of "Wearing my Tutu to Analysis and Other Stories", "The Therapist in Mourning: From the Faraway Nearby", and "Who's Behind the Couch." This is her first novel.
