Two lost souls in search of timeless answers leave all they have known behind in Harvest Moon, Book 4 in Jenny Knipfer’s immersive and emotional By the Light of the Moon series.
The dual stories of Maang-ikwe and Niin-mawin show their vastly different experiences as indigenous people, but as their lives entangle, their natural alliance emerges. While navigating the perils of new social situations and cities, they both struggle to find a genuine balance between where they came from and who they are becoming.
Supported brilliantly by strong secondary characters and foils that leap off the page, rather than merely support the plot, this novel is culturally insightful, engaging, and cleverly structured. The chapters are brief, and the timeline jumps around quite a bit, forcing readers to pay attention, yet the storylines flow and overlap surprisingly well.
As the author has done in previous installments of this series, fiction is blended seamlessly with historical fact and nuanced detail, revealing a deep reverence for the subject matter, historical accuracy, and Native American traditions. Wielding descriptive language and unexpected imagery, and aided by regular translations of key words, this narrative transports a reader with ease.
At times, the dialogue can feel a bit flat, but the carefully edited passages of prose more than make up for these more monotone conversations. The relationship building is also done with great patience; family plays a central role in the characters’ motivations, allowing for many intensely emotional moments and internal explorations. As a whole, Harvest Moon is a moving, authentic, and original work of historical fiction, while this series is a testament to Knipfer’s skilled and versatile storytelling.
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