The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon (Paperback)
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Staff Reviews
Set at the tip of the 20th Century where a well-kept whorehouse meets the Idaho landscape of Spanbauer's upbringing. Vsceral, magical, deeply personal in its confrontation of inner and outer demons. Spanbauer wrote this in an addled and fragile trance over the span of 4.5 years and 7 revisions. Dangerous, dirty and transcendent.
— From Stephanie's PicksDescription
Set against the harsh reality of an unforgiving landscape and culture, The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon provides a vision of the Old West unlike anything seen before. The narrator, Shed, is one of the most memorable characters in contemporary fiction: a half-Indian bisexual boy who lives and works at the Indian Head Hotel in the tiny town of Excellent, Idaho. It's the turn of the century, and the hotel carries on a prosperous business as the town's brothel. The eccentric characters working in the hotel provide Shed with a surrogate family, yet he finds in himself a growing need to learn the meaning of his Indian name, Duivichi-un-Dua, given to him by his mother, who was murdered when he was twelve. Setting off alone across the haunting plains, Shed goes in search of an identity among his true people, encountering a rich pageant of extraordinary characters along the way. Although he learns a great deal about the mysteries and traditions of his Indian heritage, it is not until Shed returns to Excellent and witnesses a series of brutal tragedies that he attains the wisdom that infuses this exceptional and captivating book.