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Spinning the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon
When Laura Truitt first sees the dilapidated plantation house, she’s overcome by a sense of familiarity. Inside, the owner claims to have been waiting for years and offers an old photograph of a woman with Laura’s face. Soon afterwards, when a lunar eclipse inexplicably thrusts Laura back in time to Civil War Georgia, she finds herself fighting not just for her heart, but for her very survival…
Whispers of Goodbye
Alone and with nothing left to fear, Catherine deClaire Reed answers her sister’s desperate plea and travels to the cold comfort of her home in Reconstruction Louisiana. But Elizabeth is nowhere to be found. No one—including her husband—has seen her for days. Now, Catherine must search for her sister in a place where secrets wait behind every closed door...
When Laura Truitt first sees the dilapidated plantation house, she’s overcome by a sense of familiarity. Inside, the owner claims to have been waiting for years and offers an old photograph of a woman with Laura’s face. Soon afterwards, when a lunar eclipse inexplicably thrusts Laura back in time to Civil War Georgia, she finds herself fighting not just for her heart, but for her very survival…
Whispers of Goodbye
Alone and with nothing left to fear, Catherine deClaire Reed answers her sister’s desperate plea and travels to the cold comfort of her home in Reconstruction Louisiana. But Elizabeth is nowhere to be found. No one—including her husband—has seen her for days. Now, Catherine must search for her sister in a place where secrets wait behind every closed door...
640 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
488 people are currently reading
2346 people want to read
About the author
Karen White
42 books7,539 followersWith more than 2 million books in print in fifteen different languages, Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 34 novels, including the popular Charleston-set Tradd Street mystery series.
Raised in a house full of brothers, Karen’s love of books and strong female characters first began in the third grade when the local librarian issued her a library card and placed The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery, in her hands.
Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance.
Not entirely convinced she wanted to be a writer, Karen first pursued a career in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, in a weak moment, she wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. Her books—referred to as “grit lit” (Southern Women’s Fiction)—have since been nominated for numerous national contests including the SIBA (Southeastern Booksellers Alliance) Fiction Book of the Year.
Karen’s next book, THAT LAST CAROLINA SUMMER, will be published by Park Row Books in July, 2025.
When not writing, Karen spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking. Karen and her husband have two grown children and currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with two spoiled Havanese dogs.
- See more at: http://www.karen-white.com/bio.cfm#st...
Raised in a house full of brothers, Karen’s love of books and strong female characters first began in the third grade when the local librarian issued her a library card and placed The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery, in her hands.
Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance.
Not entirely convinced she wanted to be a writer, Karen first pursued a career in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, in a weak moment, she wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. Her books—referred to as “grit lit” (Southern Women’s Fiction)—have since been nominated for numerous national contests including the SIBA (Southeastern Booksellers Alliance) Fiction Book of the Year.
Karen’s next book, THAT LAST CAROLINA SUMMER, will be published by Park Row Books in July, 2025.
When not writing, Karen spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking. Karen and her husband have two grown children and currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with two spoiled Havanese dogs.
- See more at: http://www.karen-white.com/bio.cfm#st...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
October 24, 2016
This was actually an audio book consisting of 2 separate novels by Karen White. The 1st was one of her very first novels she wrote before becoming a well known author. She wrote the story after reading Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander". Her story also contains time travel which is reminiscent of Gabaldon, however, it is fairly well done. The second story is also pretty good although sometimes I wanted to just say "Really?" to the main female character. The author confessed to going back to her first novel & doctoring it a bit with current day wisdom.
June 25, 2018
I almost put this book away when I realized it dealt with time travel. I've read so much by this author and this book was just completely different and not at all what I expected. When the time flip happened, I kind of rolled my eyes and thought oh no.....but I have to say this was a wonderful book. I got so completely caught up and swept away I didn't want it to end. White is such a superb writer, her imagery is vivid, her characters full of life and humor. I may have to give Outlander a shot...
February 16, 2019
Reading Karen White’s first two novels I was hooked by the time-travel theme of the first novel, In the Shadow of the Moon, and the Gothic overtones of the second novel, Whisper of Goodbye. The settings are the American Civil War and the Reconstruction of Louisiana which, of course, took place after the end of the Civil War, respectively. The author devised some differing aspects of time-travel that I had not seen before such as the ‘Shadow Warriors’. I truly enjoyed the Native American influences found in the first novel through the character of Zeke Proundfoot. As both novels take place in the South, the reader definitely experiences the deprivation of the South by the North. The second novel has a sister who has lost everything and everybody whom she loved going to visit her older sister who had married a Yankee officer and lives on their granmother’s plantation. What Cat finds brings remembrances, some welcomed, but many not, but where is Elizabeth, her older sister?
The sister’s husband, a Yankee with an air of darkness adds to this Gothic story-at least, it certainly felt Gothic to me, but I must admit that I am looking forward to going back to Tradd Street next year!
4 stars.
The sister’s husband, a Yankee with an air of darkness adds to this Gothic story-at least, it certainly felt Gothic to me, but I must admit that I am looking forward to going back to Tradd Street next year!
4 stars.
May 14, 2022
3.5 Pretty drawn out. I'm a Civil War history nut, so I enjoyed the historical references.
December 3, 2016
I loved In the Shadow of the Moon. For some reason, although there wasn't a whole lot in the book about him, I fell into love with the horse Endy. Something about him caught my attention. The second book, Whispers of Goodbye seemed so familiar as if I had already read it (it's possible I had, I've read so many books before I started keeping up with them on Goodreads) that I almost knew exactly what was going to happen next. I'm not sure if if was just a coincidental plot or what. But as usual, Karen White kept me entertained. Thanks again, Karen for a good book.
October 24, 2020
This book actually contains two novels In the Shadows of the Moon and Whispers of Goodbye. Shadows is a time travel romance set in Civil War Georgia and Whispers is a gothic romance set in reconstruction Louisiana.
I enjoyed the time travel story as well as the author's graphic description of the Civil War.
In addition, I enjoyed the mystery in the gothic romance but I did find the pace of the story to be quite slow.
I enjoyed the time travel story as well as the author's graphic description of the Civil War.
In addition, I enjoyed the mystery in the gothic romance but I did find the pace of the story to be quite slow.
November 1, 2017
**SPOILER ALERT**Good story lines in both books, however there was a lot left unresolved or could have been "spun" more thoroughly. Such as the toddler in the morgue - was that Julia's daughter that she took to moon mountain and was switched out with Annie? Zeke - what is his background and how did he know so much about time traveling? Mrs. Cudahy - more information of her relationship with her grandparents and how she received the picture. Julia's "ghost" could have been developed in the beginning of the story and could have appeared to Laura while she and Michael lived there, so that when she appeared after Laura's return, it would have made the story more "full" rather than Julia's ghost just appearing after Laura's return - it felt like that was just thrown in there. Not to mention, you would think upon Laura's return she would have run to the secret compartment to get the letters, but acted as if she completely forgot about it.
September 14, 2016
I thought the first story was ok and disliked the second story.
September 15, 2016
Great Read
Can't believe I missed these stories when first published. Loved the characters and the suspense created by each one. True fan of Karen White's writings.
Can't believe I missed these stories when first published. Loved the characters and the suspense created by each one. True fan of Karen White's writings.
December 14, 2024
So interesting story, I was making eggs this morning and all of a sudden a memory about a wonderful book I read years ago popped into my head and I couldn't remember the title but I remembered that it was an amazing tale. So in my snap chat a story from four years ago came up and there was a book on the floor with the author name visible so I just looked it up to see what I might have been reading at the time and it was the book I had been thinking of! I love when things like that happen.
August 22, 2022
This was actually two separate books combined into one. The first book was more engrossing than the second one. I loved the time travel aspect and the characters in the first book. The second one was a more of a gothic novel. A lot slower moving, but still interesting.
April 21, 2017
Narration and Book reviews.
The 4 stars is an average of the two books, book 1 was quite good with just a few soft spots. But book 2 couldn't hold me till it's conclusion though it showed a lot of promise. I may have out grown gothic novels though...
Rating 4.25 Books 1 - In the Shadow of the Moon, solid 4 both narration and story. The only detractor was there were soft spots where the story was not propelled forward enough. Considering this was one of KW's first novels understandable. Good time travel novel, LOL moment her prologue mentions she'd just read Outlander and absolutely nothing would do reading wise, so she decided to write her first novel. Sounds like the perfect start. Civil War period in the outskirts of Atlanta, very sad tale to begin with that finishes in a highly satisfactory way. She does not get into any of the huge detail of the day like DG's Outlander. But her facts seemed to be very relevant and not over done. I don't consider this a negative that she didn't teach us how to milk a cow.
Rating 2.5 The second book wasn't so good or maybe I've outgrown gothic novels. It has a distinct slant towards Victoria Holt in it's writing but it's just not compelling enough... read diligently for about 70% then I skimmed and read the final chapters till it's conclusion.
The 4 stars is an average of the two books, book 1 was quite good with just a few soft spots. But book 2 couldn't hold me till it's conclusion though it showed a lot of promise. I may have out grown gothic novels though...
Rating 4.25 Books 1 - In the Shadow of the Moon, solid 4 both narration and story. The only detractor was there were soft spots where the story was not propelled forward enough. Considering this was one of KW's first novels understandable. Good time travel novel, LOL moment her prologue mentions she'd just read Outlander and absolutely nothing would do reading wise, so she decided to write her first novel. Sounds like the perfect start. Civil War period in the outskirts of Atlanta, very sad tale to begin with that finishes in a highly satisfactory way. She does not get into any of the huge detail of the day like DG's Outlander. But her facts seemed to be very relevant and not over done. I don't consider this a negative that she didn't teach us how to milk a cow.
Rating 2.5 The second book wasn't so good or maybe I've outgrown gothic novels. It has a distinct slant towards Victoria Holt in it's writing but it's just not compelling enough... read diligently for about 70% then I skimmed and read the final chapters till it's conclusion.
January 20, 2018
In the Shadow of the Moon
2018 Reading Challenge: A book about time travel
And it really was amazing! I bought this book at a community yardsale for a $1.00. It's been sitting on my book shelf at home for a few months and I finally got around to reading it this past week. I've never read a book by Karen White and truly wish I had come across her books sooner.
I experienced so many emotions with this story. At one point I just wanted to put it down and not finish it. And it wasn't because I disliked it, but because it was so overwhelming that I had a hard time processing all the feelings that were coursing through me. Even though there were a few places throughout that I kinda thought, "well, I'm a little confused",it wasn't enough for me to change my mind on the rating.
I really enjoyed the characters. They were well thought out and and so easy to fall in love with. Thank you Karen White for such an amazing story! This one is definitely a keeper! And I am SO glad she went back!
Rating: R -some very graphic, descriptive scenes involving war time.
Language: I can only remember 2 times where profanity was used-one use of deity.
Recommend: Absolutely!
2018 Reading Challenge: A book about time travel
And it really was amazing! I bought this book at a community yardsale for a $1.00. It's been sitting on my book shelf at home for a few months and I finally got around to reading it this past week. I've never read a book by Karen White and truly wish I had come across her books sooner.
I experienced so many emotions with this story. At one point I just wanted to put it down and not finish it. And it wasn't because I disliked it, but because it was so overwhelming that I had a hard time processing all the feelings that were coursing through me. Even though there were a few places throughout that I kinda thought, "well, I'm a little confused",it wasn't enough for me to change my mind on the rating.
I really enjoyed the characters. They were well thought out and and so easy to fall in love with. Thank you Karen White for such an amazing story! This one is definitely a keeper! And I am SO glad she went back!
Rating: R -some very graphic, descriptive scenes involving war time.
Language: I can only remember 2 times where profanity was used-one use of deity.
Recommend: Absolutely!
August 11, 2017
I liked this book but it was totally different from other karen white books. I love that there is always mystery in her books and it makes you want to read to find out how all the puzzle pieces fit together. she definitely has a gift for story telling. these books were different from her other ones though because they seem more like romance novels and focused more on the love story and her other books seem to focus more on the individual and what they are overcoming with the love story as a side note. I did enjoy them.
March 17, 2021
I usually love Karen White's books, but when the whole plot could've been fixed with 10 minutes of actual communication between characters, it's weak. Not to mention the southern sympathy, and skirting around the slave issue completely.
October 7, 2016
2.5 stars for the first book, 3.5 stars for the 2nd book.
July 10, 2017
Great!
June 5, 2019
I don’t normally like science fiction-ish books so I was hesitant about reading the first book, In the Shadow Of the Moon, but I am so glad I did! I had read one page and then ending up starting and finishing several other books before I came back to it. Once I finished the first chapter, I couldn’t put it down. Karen White has become one of my favorite authors and these 2 books have not disappointed. The compelling nature of her writing had me speed reading to finish both books.
January 30, 2022
As a huge fan of Ms.White I stumbled upon this one of the first books she wrote combined into two. It was AMAZING and had all the feels of Outlander meets Gone with the wind! Great details put into the stories as well as characters that were easy to love! A must read for all of her fans!
January 10, 2017
Ugh. I had a really hard time with this book. I couldn't get through the second book so my review is for the first one, In the Shadow of the Moon. It's a poor imitation of Outlander. Woman accidentally travels in time, into the past during a war, ends up staying with a family, and falls in love with the wounded war hero. She's accused of being a spy, needs to get back home, blah blah blah. The war is the Civil War and the soldier is a Confederate soldier. The worst part of all this is, the main character, a modern day woman, actually defends slavery! I was disgusted. And I've noticed that Karen White has this tendency to stereotype the characters in her books. All the southerners are hardworking, passionate people of integrity while the northerners are cold, ruthless, and heartless. I can't even count the number of times I rolled my eyes. The worst part of the book was (SPOILER AHEAD!) that when the main character found her missing daughter, the one who had disappeared through time, she not only didn't recognize her, she decided to leave her behind! No sane person would do that. Definitely skip this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2020
Outlander set in Georgia during the Civil War. Bad writing : villains yelling- “You haven’t seen the last of me!”, predictably dumb actions by a shockingly annoying heroine, and a very ridiculous romance.
November 27, 2016
Karen White is one of my favorite authors! Loved
both stories!!
both stories!!
February 27, 2017
I really enjoyed this early work of Karen White. She really knows how to bring you inside another world and another character's mind.
April 27, 2022
“The house stood strong and silent, bidding me to come nearer as if it were an old friend needing companionship. The Windows started at me with familiarity, and the feeling of teasing been there before hit me with a fire so strong I had to stop."
•
Read for a couple of Southern historical soap operas.
•
Spinning the Moon is actually a combination and rerelease of Karen White’s first book, Shadow of the Moon, and Whispers of Goodbye, another one of her early books that had since been discontinued. I admittedly bought this book mostly for the cover and I’d describe them as historical dramas or soap operas! Both books have melodramatic Hallmark/Lifetime movie vibes. (Not in a bad way!)
Shadow of the Moon was the first book & the more enjoyable of the two. The Outlander inspo was definitely obvious, but I didn’t mind. The time traveling aspect was actually handled very well and I really enjoyed the Civil War setting. Some of the drama felt a bit forced and silly because it all could’ve been avoided with one honest conversation, but then the more adventurous parts of the book wouldn’t of happened and that’d be no good either. I mostly just wish the romance had a bit more trust and chemistry, but I was still invested enough to enjoy it.
Whispers of Goodbye was a bit more serious. It took place in Reconstruction Louisiana and didn’t have any supernatural plots like the first book did. This one was mostly a gothic romance with a bit of a whodunnit. It gave me strong Rebecca vibes which I appreciated. The slowness of the pace, I didn’t appreciate as much. It just felt like nothing was happening for most of the book and lots of repetition. Then the ending was extremely abrupt. I will say that there were aspects of the mystery that I did not guess and that impressed me.
While there were parts that I found interesting enough, overall there wasn’t much about these stories that truly captured me. Both could’ve been fleshed out better, especially in the romantic couplings. I wouldn’t discourage you from reading them, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend them either.
•
Read for a couple of Southern historical soap operas.
•
Spinning the Moon is actually a combination and rerelease of Karen White’s first book, Shadow of the Moon, and Whispers of Goodbye, another one of her early books that had since been discontinued. I admittedly bought this book mostly for the cover and I’d describe them as historical dramas or soap operas! Both books have melodramatic Hallmark/Lifetime movie vibes. (Not in a bad way!)
Shadow of the Moon was the first book & the more enjoyable of the two. The Outlander inspo was definitely obvious, but I didn’t mind. The time traveling aspect was actually handled very well and I really enjoyed the Civil War setting. Some of the drama felt a bit forced and silly because it all could’ve been avoided with one honest conversation, but then the more adventurous parts of the book wouldn’t of happened and that’d be no good either. I mostly just wish the romance had a bit more trust and chemistry, but I was still invested enough to enjoy it.
Whispers of Goodbye was a bit more serious. It took place in Reconstruction Louisiana and didn’t have any supernatural plots like the first book did. This one was mostly a gothic romance with a bit of a whodunnit. It gave me strong Rebecca vibes which I appreciated. The slowness of the pace, I didn’t appreciate as much. It just felt like nothing was happening for most of the book and lots of repetition. Then the ending was extremely abrupt. I will say that there were aspects of the mystery that I did not guess and that impressed me.
While there were parts that I found interesting enough, overall there wasn’t much about these stories that truly captured me. Both could’ve been fleshed out better, especially in the romantic couplings. I wouldn’t discourage you from reading them, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend them either.
August 19, 2020
3.5 Two stories in this book. The Shadow of the Moon. Laura Truitt and her husband are house hunting as Laura is pregnant with their first child. Laura is fascinated by an old run down plantation housed and insists that they look further into this property. Knocking on the door it is answered by an elderly lady who invitese them to come in and said she has been waiting for them for years and she offers them a photograph of a woman with Laura's face. The couple purchase the old house and their daughter is born. The little family hike to the top of a trail to see a lunar eclipse and then they discover their daughter is missing. Laura's husband passes away and Laura decides the next time there is another eclipse she will see is she can find out what happened to her daughter - Laura is sent back in time to the Civil War in Georgia and then her adventure begins and she becomes a time traveler in search of her lost daughter.
Whispers of Goodbye - second story in the book
Catherine deClaire Reed reeceives a letter from her sister with a desperate plea for help. CAtherine has not seen Elizab eth since she was married and since she has lost her son in a drowning accident and her husband has also passed she has nothing to stay for so she sets out for the South to Reconstruction Louisiana. When she arrives it is to find her sister has died supposedly of a suicide but she also finds out that her sister had a daughter Rebecca and her sisters husband welcomes her into his home. Catherine is determined to find out what secrets have not been told to her about Elizabeth's life. Elizabeth led a totally different life from before and her husband is a hard man to read but he loves his little girl. Catherine gets into their lives deeper and deeper and John asks her to marry him but he also has two sides and Catherine wonders now what her life will bring about but she is in love with him and wants to make a family for the little girl.
Whispers of Goodbye - second story in the book
Catherine deClaire Reed reeceives a letter from her sister with a desperate plea for help. CAtherine has not seen Elizab eth since she was married and since she has lost her son in a drowning accident and her husband has also passed she has nothing to stay for so she sets out for the South to Reconstruction Louisiana. When she arrives it is to find her sister has died supposedly of a suicide but she also finds out that her sister had a daughter Rebecca and her sisters husband welcomes her into his home. Catherine is determined to find out what secrets have not been told to her about Elizabeth's life. Elizabeth led a totally different life from before and her husband is a hard man to read but he loves his little girl. Catherine gets into their lives deeper and deeper and John asks her to marry him but he also has two sides and Catherine wonders now what her life will bring about but she is in love with him and wants to make a family for the little girl.
July 28, 2018
I cherish this double-sized volume of two timeless stories by White.
I loved the first fiction story about time travel and how it can be related to history with ties to certain events. White does an excellent job creating linking them together in a believable way.
The only thing I noted that was a bit strange was her reference to riding a horse and what was used. This needed to be tweaked a bit because it wasn't correct. Other than that, I loved the characters and the exciting scenes as the mystery starts to unfold surrounding the family and what is causing their dilemma. I enjoy reading about time travel into the past. The mention of Sherman and how he dealt with his troops was very interesting.
However, the second story is not about time travel. It is my favorite of the two because it addressed trust and being honest in a relationship. A crucial part of a marriage and it surviving over time. In the end, there is a bit of a plot twist that surprises me. The story moves well and it kept me guessing about which man is the villain, even though I did suspect one of the household staff members the whole time. I admire the development of this story and the details of the house playing into the plot.
Cat is my favorite character and I found her inspiring. Her mothering skills and her protective nature were on spot with my thinking. She is a strong female character with good instincts as she gains knowledge about her situation. The ending is pleasing and refreshing after all the setbacks in the relationship. It rings true, too when weighing in on the fact that often outside forces cause severe problems in a relationship if they are allowed to continue to influence decisions via their meddling. White's writing is perfect and her eye for detail comes through during this story.
I loved the first fiction story about time travel and how it can be related to history with ties to certain events. White does an excellent job creating linking them together in a believable way.
The only thing I noted that was a bit strange was her reference to riding a horse and what was used. This needed to be tweaked a bit because it wasn't correct. Other than that, I loved the characters and the exciting scenes as the mystery starts to unfold surrounding the family and what is causing their dilemma. I enjoy reading about time travel into the past. The mention of Sherman and how he dealt with his troops was very interesting.
However, the second story is not about time travel. It is my favorite of the two because it addressed trust and being honest in a relationship. A crucial part of a marriage and it surviving over time. In the end, there is a bit of a plot twist that surprises me. The story moves well and it kept me guessing about which man is the villain, even though I did suspect one of the household staff members the whole time. I admire the development of this story and the details of the house playing into the plot.
Cat is my favorite character and I found her inspiring. Her mothering skills and her protective nature were on spot with my thinking. She is a strong female character with good instincts as she gains knowledge about her situation. The ending is pleasing and refreshing after all the setbacks in the relationship. It rings true, too when weighing in on the fact that often outside forces cause severe problems in a relationship if they are allowed to continue to influence decisions via their meddling. White's writing is perfect and her eye for detail comes through during this story.
June 29, 2020
(3.5 stars) This book includes two of Karen White’s early novels: “In the Shadow of the Moon” and “Whispers of Goodbye”. In the first, Laura and her husband find an old plantation home while searching for their new house. Laura is completely taken by it, despite it not being for sale. When she knocks on the door, the woman who owns it seems to be expecting her and shows her an old picture around the time of the Civil War that has a woman who looks remarkably like Laura. They arrange to buy the house and they move in prior to the birth of their daughter. Laura is hit by a series of tragedies, and on a lunar eclipse, she is pulled back into the past. There she continues her search and befriends the family now living at the house. She works to survive and solve the riddle of how to return to her present. But feelings begin to emerge, both for the family and for a particular man, and she knows she must do everything she can to save them from the upcoming destruction before she returns. In the second novel, Catherine leaves her home in the Reconstruction south based on a desperate plea from her sister. When she arrives, her sister has vanished, but she is welcomed by her sister’s husband and is shocked to see that her sister now has a daughter. Something is not right in the household, and Catherine begins to see disturbing things that she is having trouble explaining. When her sister turns up dead, her relationships become more complicated and she must decide where her loyalties lie. The book definitely has shades of the fairytale Bluebeard, but keeps you guessing until the suspenseful climax.
May 23, 2018
This book compiles two of the author's earliest works, otherwise out of print in their original editions.
"In the Shadow of the Moon" tells the story of a modern day woman who mysteriously loses her baby girl during an overnight trip up Moon Mountain to watch a comet soar overhead. Several years later, she revisits the sad site, and finds herself whisked into the Civil War era. How did she end up there, and could something similar have happened to her baby? And where (and when) does she truly belong?
In "Whispers of Goodbye", a devastated widow and grieving mother, left alone and destitute by the Civil War, receives an urgent letter from her sister, who she hasn't seen in years. Elizabeth begs Cat to rush to her aid, telling her she is very afraid. Cat heads to her grandmother's old home in the swamps, where her sister is nowhere to be found. Who can she trust, and can she trust her heart to learn to let love in again? Or will she, in her desperation to protect herself, make things worse?
Karen White's books are intriguing. I love the mix of romance, history, and suspenseful situations. She explores the supernatural, in these stories with time travel and voodoo. Regardless of your beliefs, you learn something new and pique your curiosity as you read her novels. I am continuing to work my way through her list of titles.
"In the Shadow of the Moon" tells the story of a modern day woman who mysteriously loses her baby girl during an overnight trip up Moon Mountain to watch a comet soar overhead. Several years later, she revisits the sad site, and finds herself whisked into the Civil War era. How did she end up there, and could something similar have happened to her baby? And where (and when) does she truly belong?
In "Whispers of Goodbye", a devastated widow and grieving mother, left alone and destitute by the Civil War, receives an urgent letter from her sister, who she hasn't seen in years. Elizabeth begs Cat to rush to her aid, telling her she is very afraid. Cat heads to her grandmother's old home in the swamps, where her sister is nowhere to be found. Who can she trust, and can she trust her heart to learn to let love in again? Or will she, in her desperation to protect herself, make things worse?
Karen White's books are intriguing. I love the mix of romance, history, and suspenseful situations. She explores the supernatural, in these stories with time travel and voodoo. Regardless of your beliefs, you learn something new and pique your curiosity as you read her novels. I am continuing to work my way through her list of titles.
August 21, 2018
Love Karen White! This audiobook recording combines two of the author's first stories. She has gone back and edited them with her now extensive writing experience to make them even better. These seem to be a little more sensual than other books I've read of hers, but there are no graphic sex scenes.
The first story is a time travel novel. After her daughter disappears during a astrological event, Laura goes to the same mountain several years later when another astrological event is scheduled to occur to see if she can find out what happened to her daughter. She is thrust back in time to Civil War Georgia. She is determined to see if she can find her daughter all the while trying not to fall in love with a Confederate soldier.
The second book is very Gothic. I think I liked this even more than the first story. Set in the time period just after the Civil War, Catherine receives a letter from her sister that she hasn't heard from in seven years begging for her help and explaining that she feels threatened. When Catherine arrives at her sister's home, she is missing and her brother-in-law has no idea where she has gone. The house is creepy, complete with swamps, voodoo charms, and secrets abounding. Catherine doesn't know who to trust, but is determined to find out what happened to the woman she so closely resembles.
The first story is a time travel novel. After her daughter disappears during a astrological event, Laura goes to the same mountain several years later when another astrological event is scheduled to occur to see if she can find out what happened to her daughter. She is thrust back in time to Civil War Georgia. She is determined to see if she can find her daughter all the while trying not to fall in love with a Confederate soldier.
The second book is very Gothic. I think I liked this even more than the first story. Set in the time period just after the Civil War, Catherine receives a letter from her sister that she hasn't heard from in seven years begging for her help and explaining that she feels threatened. When Catherine arrives at her sister's home, she is missing and her brother-in-law has no idea where she has gone. The house is creepy, complete with swamps, voodoo charms, and secrets abounding. Catherine doesn't know who to trust, but is determined to find out what happened to the woman she so closely resembles.
July 7, 2020
I received the audiobook version of Spinning the Moon as part of Early Reviewers. The audiobook is actually a compilation of two of Karen White's books, In the Shadow of the Moon and Shadows of Goodbye. I really didn't have any expectations for either of these books and the giant box of CDs sat on my backseat for quite some time. However, I have a long commute and one day couldn't find my audio cable to listen to something via audible, so I had no choice but to old school via compact disc. To my surprise, both of these books were great. They had wonderful characters, great location, excellent Gothic feeling plots that kept you guessing, and better than average writing. I was surprised to find out that the original front covers for both books made then look like trashy bodice rippers, because I didn't get that feeling from the books themselves. Would definitely recommend to anyone who was a fan of Du Murrier's Rebecca or Collins's Girl in the White Dress.
This book was part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers & I was provided a copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book was part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers & I was provided a copy in exchange for my honest review.
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