As her mother grows older Helen builds a life of her own, a life as a wife, mother and nude model for the art department in a college nearby. However her life is still affected by her youth. How she deals with her grown children, her now ex-husband and her many friends is reflected in her relationships with them.

One day while caring for her mother, she snaps and kills the 88 year old woman. What follows is an intense tale of how she handles the death, who she turns to for help, along with glimpses back into her past and how her childhood lead her to this point.

Alice Sebold is the author of two previous books, The Lovely Bones and Lucky. I had read and enjoyed both, although I’m most impressed with The Lovely Bones. The Almost Moon is every bit as well written but compelling in its own way.

How the problems of the parents affect not only the children but grandchildren and acquaintances was subtly illustrated and the book moved with such grace that the reader faced the end almost with dread and a sigh of regret.