Bright Coin Moon: A Novel

(Hardback)

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Description

Set against the colorful backdrop of immoral psychics and dishonest scam artists, Bright Coin Moon tells a story of longing and loyalty and the emotional burden of sacrifice.
Seventeen-year-old Lindsey Allen is an A-student who has her heart set on becoming an astronomer. But first she must break away from her mother, an eccentric failed beauty queen who has set up a phony psychic reading shop in their Oregon garage.
Lindsey is biding time until she graduates high school, reading tarot cards for the neighbors in her mothers shop and recording the phases of the moon in her Moon Sign notebook. Her life changes when her mother, Debbie, decides they should move to California to become Hollywood psychics to the stars. As they pull out of the driveway, Lindsey looks up at the silver morning moon. Its a bright coin moon, which means only one thing: what you leave behind today will rise up tomorrow.
When mother and daughter arrive in Los Angeles with new identities, they move into a leaky, run-down building and spend their nights stalking restaurants and movie premieres to catch that one celebrity they hope will be their ticket. When it seems they will never make it in LA, Lindsey is assigned a new mentor through her school. Joan is a lonely, wealthy widow who cant get past the death of her husband, Saul. Debbie is convinced theyve hit the jackpot, and plans for a future sance commence.
As Lindsey grows closer to Joan, guilt over the scam consumes her, and she must make the ultimate decision. But can she really betray her mother
Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readerspicture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Reviews

"Lopresti portrays a gritty mother-daughter relationship that alternates between maddening and endearing in a debut that is tender, tough and beautifully written." Richmond-Times Dispatch

"A lyrical and suspenseful debut novel . . . All of the characters are
richly three-dimensional, and Lindseys own ambivalence is beautifully portrayed. . . . The story ends with a breathless series of surprises." Booklist

"Loprestis sparse yet elegant prose and strong, well-developed protagonist make this a priority purchase." School Library Journal

Wry, poignant, and beautifully written." Carolyn Parkhurst, New York Times bestselling author of The Nobodies Album

"A beautiful, compassionate coming of age story written with depth and delicacy." Gigi Amateau, author of Claiming Georgia Tate

"Bright Coin Moon is an Anywhere But Here for a new decade. Lopresti hits all the high notes; the angst and sass of adolescence strike home as seventeen-year-old Lindsey simultaneously colludes with and defies her mother, trying to get a toehold among connivers and charlatans--a category that includes the two of them. Lindsey makes surprising discoveries about the nature of truth as she poses as a Hollywood psychic in a story that's wrenching, ripping, and often laugh-out-loud funny." Susann Cokal, award-winning author of The Kingdom of Little Wounds

Bright Coin Moon is about scams and psychics, yes, but it's also a love letter. To astronomy, to California, to courage and loyalty and freedom. You can smell the damp when the roof leaks, you can see the ominous wolf moon looming overhead, you can feel the thrum of Lindsey's heart longing for something more than the closed, stifling life she leads with the mother she seems to love and hate so much. This is a marvelous debut: lush, bleak and ultimately full of hope. Sangu Mandanna, author of The Lost Girl

"Bright Coin Moon shows the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship through the eyes of a scrappy, charmingly imperfect teen for whom you will root from the very first page. With its colorful cast of quirky characters, Bright Coin Moon is a compelling story about the price of family loyalty and the collateral damage of secrets and lies. Youre in for a treat!" Elaine Wolf, award-winning author of Camp and Danny's Mom
"Lopresti portrays a gritty mother-daughter relationship that alternates between maddening and endearing in a debut that is tender, tough and beautifully written." Richmond-Times Dispatch

"A lyrical and suspenseful debut novel . . . All of the characters are
richly three-dimensional, and Lindseys own ambivalence is beautifully portrayed. . . . The story ends with a breathless series of surprises." Booklist

"Loprestis sparse yet elegant prose and strong, well-developed protagonist make this a priority purchase." School Library Journal

Wry, poignant, and beautifully written." Carolyn Parkhurst, New York Times bestselling author of The Nobodies Album

"A beautiful, compassionate coming of age story written with depth and delicacy." Gigi Amateau, author of Claiming Georgia Tate

"Bright Coin Moon is an Anywhere But Here for a new decade. Lopresti hits all the high notes; the angst and sass of adolescence strike home as seventeen-year-old Lindsey simultaneously colludes with and defies her mother, trying to get a toehold among connivers and charlatans--a category that includes the two of them. Lindsey makes surprising discoveries about the nature of truth as she poses as a Hollywood psychic in a story that's wrenching, ripping, and often laugh-out-loud funny." Susann Cokal, award-winning author of The Kingdom of Little Wounds

Bright Coin Moon is about scams and psychics, yes, but it's also a love letter. To astronomy, to California, to courage and loyalty and freedom. You can smell the damp when the roof leaks, you can see the ominous wolf moon looming overhead, you can feel the thrum of Lindsey's heart longing for something more than the closed, stifling life she leads with the mother she seems to love and hate so much. This is a marvelous debut: lush, bleak and ultimately full of hope. Sangu Mandanna, author of The Lost Girl

"Bright Coin Moon shows the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship through the eyes of a scrappy, charmingly imperfect teen for whom you will root from the very first page. With its colorful cast of quirky characters, Bright Coin Moon is a compelling story about the price of family loyalty and the collateral damage of secrets and lies. Youre in for a treat!" Elaine Wolf, award-winning author of Camp and Danny's Mom

Author Bio

Kirsten Lopresti holds a BA from Virginia Tech and an MFA from George Mason University. She has published short stories in several literary magazines, including "The Laurel Review, New Delta Review, So To Speak, Italian Americana," and "Licking River Review." She resides in Herndon, Virginia.