This debut novel by Connecticut author Jeanne Ferruolo tells the story of Ruby Moon Hayes who has lost her father and whose mother has moved herself and Ruby from one place to another for over a year in search of the “forever home”. The pair finally end up in Fortin, Vermont, where almost immediately Mom is arrested for assault after standing up for her rights at her new job.

A moon motif runs throughout the story, and Ruby Moon learns to speak out and be brave as she adjusts to her new life in small town Vermont. The moon connects the story together just as it connected Ruby and her dad when they would both look at the moon when they were apart and remember each other. Ruby was a good character, with some growing and grieving issues, but because Ruby didn’t respect or obey her mom, I had trouble respecting her or rooting for her myself.

I didn’t always believe the actions of the townspeople, of Ruby’s friends Abigail and Ahmad, of Ruby’s mom, or of Ruby herself. I started out disliking the mom a lot or wondering if she had some kind of mental illness, but then the author tried to turn her into a hero and a role model for standing up for oneself. The townspeople were a bit too insular and prejudiced, stereotypical small-town hicks, to be believed. Ahmad was too good to be true, and Abigail was, as Ruby repeatedly calls her in the book, strange and weird. And still the story managed to tug at the heartstrings, so to speak. The themes of finding one’s own voice and learning to adapt and being brave are familiar, but they were worked out here in an engaging way.

I wish I could pinpoint what it was that moved me about this simple story. Ruby learns what it means to find a home. Ruby’s mom gets better, although I still thought she was awfully self-centered. Ahmad never moves beyond the stereotypical friendly Syrian refugee, but his friendship with Ruby serves the purpose of moving the story to its climax. And Ruby remains something of an enigma, even as she moves into healing and a new start in life. It’s a good story, but maybe not especially memorable?