Mary Beth Keane writes literary love stories. In her breakout novel, "Ask Again, Yes," she tells a modern story of star-crossed lovers from feuding families, reminiscent of a Shakespearean tragedy set in a working-class suburb of New York. Keane recognizes that every great love story requires a compelling obstacle to keep the couple apart. In her latest book, "The Half Moon," that obstacle is provided by the everyday struggles of middle age, which can wear down even the most contented couple.
Malcolm and Jess Gephardt started out contented. They were known as a golden couple in their town — Malcolm always dreamed of owning a bar, while Jess badly wanted children. By the time we meet them, Malcolm has taken out shady loans to buy a bar he can't afford and is being pursued by thugs demanding repayments. Meanwhile, after years of failed fertility treatments, Jess is grieving the death of her own dream to be a mother. She's become entangled in an affair, while Malcolm has hidden the extent of his debt from her.
The novel takes place over the course of one snowy week. The blizzard forces confrontations, and their secrets come to light. While this may sound like an unlikely setup for a love story, Keane takes ample time to delve into the past, showing why Malcolm and Jess fell for each other initially, and how they've supported each other throughout their marriage.
Even now, Jess admires Malcolm, describing him as "The kind of man who'd get better with each passing year, because along with age would come a little wisdom, discipline, a flame trimmed back so neatly he could control its height, its heat."
Keane's prose is luminous and controlled, brimming with insights into her nuanced characters.
The novel also includes a missing-person thread that feels somewhat extraneous, as this subplot never fully dovetails with the main story line. The real mystery driving this novel forward is whether the estranged couple will find their way back to each other. Keane is a romantic and a realist. For them to make it, they must figure out what happiness might look like now that their youthful dreams have died.
"The Half Moon" is a gripping read with an unexpected and satisfying resolution. We root for Malcolm and Jess to figure out a way forward, whether or not it's together.
Malena Watrous is the author of the novel "If You Follow Me." She teaches fiction writing through Stanford University's Continuing Studies program.
The Half Moon
By: Mary Beth Keane.
Publisher: Scribner, 304 pages, $28.
