Becoming Moon — Craig A. Hart

Becoming Moon is the poignant coming-of-age story about a young man struggling to be himself amid pressure from a conservative family. Following his dream of becoming a writer, he turns away from everything he knows, and enters adulthood embittered, angry, and resentful.

As he struggles to make a name for himself, he is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. Although it requires a betrayal of his principles as an artist, he resigns himself to what appears to be fate. The writer's compromise brings money and recognition, but these are fleeting and he soon finds himself caught in a web of depression and financial hardship.

Desperate and sinking quickly, the writer begins taking trips to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he hopes to reconnect with his muse. During one of these excursions, he meets Nigel Moon, a grizzled fellow author nearing the end of his career. Moon gives the writer a second golden opportunity and the chance to prove himself in the face of personal doubts -- but only if the writer is able to set his past aside.

Hart's stripped-down prose brings the reader into direct contact with the story and its characters. Equal parts witty and dark and wry and tragic, the text uses simplicity as its focus. Raw and honest, Becoming Moon is an unforgettable book about exorcising past demons and finding personal redemption.