Book Review – The Moon Gate, by Amanda Geard

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

The letter opens a hole in the earth, and through the darkness she tumbles. Falling. Falling. Slowing. Slowing. Until she reaches light and arrives at an island on the other side of the world. The place where she once was. The place where they once were. Tasmania.

I’ve not read a novel set in Tasmania before, and Amanda Geard’s evocative descriptions bring its beauty and dangers to vibrant life. Also set in London and County Kerry, Ireland, The Moon Gate is a real page turner and a demanding read.

I mean this in a positive sense, as a deep mystery develops throughout the book, and I enjoyed keeping a lookout for ‘clues’ which could prove to be vital as the story progresses.

I soon became used to the pendulum swinging from 2004 to 1985, back to 1939, into the war years, then to 1974 and back to 2004. We know the different storylines will come together, but the device provides a depth and scope rarely achieved in most novels.

My favourite character was Grace, and her love of writing prose, which lifts some chapters to another level. This is a masterclass in complex storytelling using unusual settings, which I am happy to recommend.

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Amanda Geard is passionate about capturing the wilds of County Kerry in her writing and was inspired to pen her first novel, The Midnight House after a trip to Listowel Writers’ Week in 2019.  She has written for The Irish Times, The Journal, The Gloss and writing.ie.  In 2022, she was the recipient of an Arts Council Agility Award and a Kerry County Council Arts bursary, as well as being selected for the 2022/23 Evolution Programme with the Irish Writers Centre. She was awarded a teaching internship at the University of Galway BA (Creative Writing). Find out more at Amanda's website https://www.amandageard.com/ and find her on Facebook Twitter @amandageard and Bluesky @amandageard.bsky.social