Review of 'The Moon Gate' by Amanda Geard
Review of 'The Moon Gate' by Amanda Geard
Release date: June 8, 2023
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Review of Amanda Geard’s The Moon Gate
Amanda Geard's stories are so special and stand alone in a category of their own. Genuine, original and awe inspiring like a flock of swans transcending ordinary time as their wings lift us into extraordinary places. The Moon Gate is magical, mesmerising and moving. Rainforest inspiring moments, little breaths of captured air— now escaping like mist into the dawn as they become a tapestry of wishes and wonder. This novel hovers over the ancient while its leaves of memories are blown up into the sky by tumultuous winds to reveal its roots of age-old story telling. Just stunning! Poetic, powerful and transcending. Yes, war is part of its fabric: hearts will change I am sure. But the journey is already magnificent.
These words above I wrote and posted on social media when I had only read a few chapters of The Moon Gate. I was so inspired by the magnificent opening of this book I had to say something. Now that I have completed it, my strong sentiments still stand. I am so glad I indulged in this wonderful escape to Tasmania and Ireland, through a story that all began in an intriguing house of secrets and mystery.
Amanda’s fascinating cast of characters certainly put my heart through the paces— stirring up every emotion imaginable! Warning: this is a complex multi-generational, secret-filled story that contains three timelines: 1939, 1975, 2004 which is a fair juggle of details and characters. So, you must sit up and pay attention. The descriptions of the landscapes are gorgeous as you would expect from Amanda Geard. Ireland glitters like the emerald jewel it is, and Tasmania sparkles through the mists and wildness of its location at the ends of the earth. I have been to both islands so Amanda’s exquisite details are spot on and true to my own recollections. But she has added another creative element to this story: she has sewn into the mix of this madness and mystery a very Australian icon. Not only do the island settings become an extension of the characters (particularly Grace) but so does poet Banjo Paterson’s poetry.
Everything is about timing with this novel. Even my reading of it. I read this one slowly to soak up all that I could from the text and to enjoy Banjo Paterson’s poetry which is featured in The Moon Gate in a unique and gorgeous way—particularly in the 1939 timeline. I had a few of his poems in my various Australian poetry collections but oddly not as many as I thought. So, I purchased a dedicated collection. Re-acquainting myself with a larger body of his work, added to The Moon Gate reading experience. It is always lovely to revisit The Man from Snowy River poem and the movies that inspired the world (I met the talented Tom Burlinson, star of the show) but to also read Paterson’s less-familiar poems is a wise move, too.
Amanda demonstrates wonderfully how Banjo’s poetry inspires English heiress Grace Grey to dream and write; to feel more connected to the landscape and culture and to help her deal with life’s disappointments. Even before being transported to Australia from England (on the eve of WW2), she did not have it easy. This delicate girl never had much support—particularly from her mother. Her uncle Marcus in Tasmania, though, is kind to her and she finds some comfort in his home. But his wife is quite another matter. Fortunately, she meets Daniel McGillycuddy, an Irish neighbour, and they become close friends and share her love of Banjo’s bush poems. Their experiences together and apart are quite tumultuous at times. But those beautiful moments behind the moon gate linger like an Australian floral perfume in the face of dark forces that frequently try to pull them apart: such as war and other jealous characters.
In the timeline of 1974, we meet artist Willow Hawkins and her husband Ben. They inherit the moody Towerhurst legacy home. It has been given to them by a mysterious benefactor. They are delightfully surprised (who wouldn’t be?!) but of course, curiosity sends them on a journey of trying to unveil the person’s identity. Is it an unknown relative or someone else? And if so, why have they been chosen? The only clue provided to them by the legal representative is that it is someone who appreciates the arts.
But wait! How did all this start? Chapter one begins with the timeline of 2004 where we meet Ben’s daughter Libby who has stumbled across a photograph that shakes free a childhood memory of a house with ‘a turret reaching to the sky.’ It is in many ways her story for she is the one who reaches into the past to uncover the secrets and mysteries surrounding her family— a quest her father started but was unable to complete before his death. Her search takes her to some interesting places, including Ireland and it is here where much truth is unveiled. But not before many twists and turns and surprises!
And Grace, of course, is the central figure: a most intriguing character. A few lines from a poem in the novel is quoted: ‘It’s her memory that haunts me/ Of a girl that time forgot decades long before…’ Hidden in these two lines of poetry are subtle clues and once you read the story it will all make sense. The war is on but there are less known battles happening behind closed doors in families. For Grace, there are many feuds: including some with Rose, the older girl who travelled with her to Towerhurst.
The second world war shaped and changed the world in a big way but also on a smaller scale—individuals’ lives. There was a lot of movement of people across waters seeking safety, change and relief but with all those journeys, a lot of personal events happened. Some returned to their former birth homes and some adopted their new ones. In all this fierce shifting of people and transporting of cultures, many secrets were buried, names were forgotten and identities changed. These things are part of the weave of this story. Like the sea in a storm when waves roll back and rocks underneath are exposed. Hidden threads surface and truth rises to the surface like messages in tossed bottles.
The story comes full circle. From the Prologue, when a letter arrives in Ireland addressed to Mrs McGillycuddy from a Libby Andrews wishing to know more about her husband Daniel, to their meeting on the last pages. All is revealed. I actually recommend once finishing the story to go back to the beginning and re-read the opening again. Even more gems will jump out at you: trinkets, memories, breadcrumbs that were carefully laid from the start that will carry you along the waves of change to the finish line. This giant sea swell will eventually unfurl from one shore to another—leaving its remnants and a full exciting climax on the sand.
Take a walk through The Moon Gate (a circular opening in a garden wall that provides a passageway— common in traditional Chinese gardens) and see the wonder of it all: the good, bad, ugly and beautiful. It’s all here in Amanda’s novel and see if your heart is not changed by the journey. Besides the jealousy, hatred and rage, love is here among the ruins and grief.
This is a great story about family: of sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. Some who’ve been kept apart by lost or hidden identities. Then there is the grandchild who tries to pull it all together. The call and wonder of ancestral memories speak loudly above the ocean’s roar. This family’s stories will linger in my mind for a very long time and continue to smart the edges of my heart forever. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Huge thank you to author Amanda Geard and her publisher Headline for my review copy.
