The Hunger Moon

by Suzanne Matson

A moving first novel about the power of friendship to change lives, that will remind readers of Anne Tyler and Alice Hoffman. Renata, a waitress, has left her boyfriend Bryan without telling him he is about to become a father. She drives cross-country to begin a new life in Boston with her baby son, Charlie, hoping to stay free of emotional entanglements and the associations of a painful childhood. Eleanor, a seventy-eight-year-old widow, finds herself gradually stripping away the layers of complication in her life until she is living in virtually a plain white room. June, a young dance student, is dangerously obsessed with thinness to mask her loneliness.

The three women, from very different social backgrounds and age, meet by chance and their lives become unexpectedly linked. An emergency involving baby Charlie and the unannounced appearance of Bryan culminates in a dramatic and satisfying conclusion.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Hardcover

First published July 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jenifer Lockwood]

Great story line but could have been longer. It ended rushed & abrupt.

[Sue]

Story is about Renata giving birth to a baby boy, Charlie. Becoming a single Mom and driving to settle in Boston. She gets an apartment and the story is about the three ladies involved with knowing Charlie.
Good read. Nicely written and kept my attention. Each chapter started with Either Renate, Eleanor and new neighbor or June, A dance student working for Eleanor.
Characters were good and plot was interesting. We did have some surprises in the story and a happy ending. This will make a great movie.

[Mary Lautner]

I found Renata's road trip with her baby so engrossing, as if you could remove everything from your life that didn't matter and be in this moment of being. And then I was struck by how Eleanor moved from her house, where she lived and grew her family, for over 40 years. She let go of the objects of her life and found peace in a completely stripped down apartment. Then their solitary lives intertwined.

[Ann]

This was an enjoyable read, it's been in my 'to read' shelf probably 10 +yrs...I enjoyed the interweaving of the characters lives, and the character development. As the book description states, this is a womans' lifespan story, touching on - through the events or memories of the 3 main women - all aspects of women's lives.

[Ann Branch]

Surprising story about 3 women, Eleanor, Renata, and June, at very different life stages. All are changed by the birth of Charlie. The story chronicles how each of their lives intersected and how each were impacted by the others. Also, how the baby’s father, Bryan, had to fight for a life with his son after being raised by a manic depressed mother.

[Christine]

This book was a comforting read — it didn’t have any complicated or twisting plots, but rather told stories about the everyday lives of regular people trying to make a go in the world. I especially enjoyed the evocative descriptions of early motherhood — brought back memories!

[Jessica]

A good, easy, fast paced book. The three main characters (of different ages and backgrounds) were interesting and the way they bonded was lovely. I found one of the characters incredibly annoying (Renata). I felt the ending was abrupt and perhaps rushed.

[Mary L.]

Not my favorite type of book but the further I got into the more interested I became. The lives of 3 very different women intertwine and how they influence each other is interesting. You learn a lot of things about interactions and aging.

[Jennifer]

This was OK. Sometimes I had trouble with the decisions the main character made. This is a book for younger readers (20's).

[DeAnne Tolle]

It was a good read- a fairly short book, the ending was abrupt, it was like the author just rushed to get to the end and left out part of the story.

[Geraldine]

I found this to be a very enjoyable book. The 3 main characters shared their thoughts with alternating chapters . Although the women were of varying ages, I was able to relate to the life situation of each one.

[Lynn]

A nice short novel about three women of varying ages whose lives intersect for a brief period. Told in alternating voices, each woman tells her part of the tale, each bringing an age, a way of life, and her particular emotions to the telling of their shared history. Renata is a new, single mom running away from her old life - or, perhaps, just toward a new one. Eleanor is frail and elderly and trying to come to terms with an utterly changed life. June is a college student trying to figure out what life she wants and how to get there. Caring about them is easy; the short length of the visit a reader has with them, not so much.

[Cindy]

First time reading this author, but want to read more of her now. This book is about 3 women, one in college, one in her 20's and one in 70's and then she intertwines their lives. The reason I like this so much is because the author, Suzanne Matson, is so emotionally honest, it's amazing. She can clearly write the things women are really thinking and the book is very crisp and moves at a nice quick pace.

[Aspen]

I enjoyed this book, mostly because I'm about to have my baby and I could relate to Renata's experience. I liked the three women's stories, but I thought the themes were only loosely related, and I didn't feel like I got any deep insight into any of them. It felt a bit chick-lit-ish, and not in a good way. I don't think this book will linger in my memory.

[Felicia]

This book was between a 2 and 3 but more 2 for me. The novel is written in the 3rd person so that we have the opportunity to understand the main characters. I felt that the story lines could have been pushed. The ending although seemingly happy felt a bit rushed. Overall there were the makings of a very good novel but it just fell flat for me.

[Gerry Durisin]

A story of three women who come together at very different points in their lives, and the impact each has on the others as they come to terms with their life circumstances. For me the only disappointment was the limited attention given to Eleanor, who seemed to me the most interesting of the three.

[Vanessa]

This is one of those books that is great for a break between heavier works. Quick and easy and while there is some suspense, certainly nothing so intense that one needs to walk away from the book for a bit. In a word it is "pleasant" to read.

[Sarah]

I really liked this book. I couldn't put it down and was very invested in the characters. However, it forced you to suspend disbelief a bit too much in order to believe that the women just happened to meet. It felt a bit contrived, but the plot and writing were so good that I didn't really care.

[Susie]

This book captured my attention immediately and the characters are well defined and familiar...I just didn't like the ending.

[Val]

I believe i picked this book up in '02. I loved it! The weaving of the three female characters is wonderfully done. Each woman has her own struggles and come out in the end better for it.

[Kelly]

Sweet but not intense. Single mom travels with baby from CA to Boston, befriends two other women there. It's worth the read.

[Jenna]

A very sweet story about finding yourself and the power of love and friendship. It's very heartwarming and the pages will fly by. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, especially mothers!

[Ellen]

good. I liked the happy ending.

[Denidevine]

I expected nothing from this book but really enjoyed it!!

[Dee]

The lives of three very different women are interwoven. A good story.

[Sheila Marie]

I read this book years ago and still think of parts every now and again. I really enjoyed it!

[Joan]

Very well drawn characters.

[Lowell AfdahlRice]

I liked this. It was written by a poet, so the relationships were deeply felt.

[Aggie]

it was really interesting to have different perspectives of women that all have interconnecting lives! really fun and interesting

[Julie]

Good cover. : ) Quick read. Entertaining but not earth shattering.