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    Raven Stole the Moon: A Novel
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    Raven Stole the Moon: A Novel
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    Raven Stole the Moon: A Novel
    Ebook514 pages8 hours

    Raven Stole the Moon: A Novel

    By Garth Stein

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    “Deeply moving, superbly crafted, and highly unconventional.” —Washington Times

    Raven Stole the Moon is the stunning first novel from Garth Stein, author of the phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Art of Racing in the Rain.

    A profoundly poignant and unforgettable story of a grieving mother’s return to a remote Alaskan town to make peace with the loss of her young son, Raven Stole the Moon combines intense emotion with Native American mysticism and a timeless and terrifying mystery, and earned raves for a young writer and his uniquely captivating imagination.

    When Jenna Rosen abandons her comfortable Seattle life to visit Wrangell, Alaska, it’s a wrenching return to her past. The old home of her Native American grandmother, Wrangell is located near the Thunder Bay resort, where Jenna’s young son Bobby disappeared two years before. His body was never recovered, and Jenna is determined to lay to rest the aching mystery of his death.

    But whispers of ancient legends begin to suggest a frightening new possibility about Bobby’s fate, and Jenna must sift through the beliefs of her ancestors, the Tlingit -- who still tell of powerful, menacing forces at work in the Alaskan wilderness. Jenna is desperate for answers, and she appeals to a Tlingit shaman to help her sort fact from myth, and face the unthinkable possibilities head-on. Armed with nothing but a mother’s ferocious protective instincts, Jenna’s quest for the truth about her son -- and the strength of her beliefs -- is about to pull her into a terrifying and life-changing abyss....

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMar 2, 2010
    ISBN9780061969515
    Unavailable
    Raven Stole the Moon: A Novel
    Author

    Garth Stein

    Garth Stein is the author of the international bestseller The Art of Racing in the Rain. He has written two other novels: How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, which won a 2006 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award, and Raven Stole the Moon. He has also written a full-length play, Brother Jones, which received its first production in Los Angeles in 2005, and was described as "brimming with intensity" by L.A. Weekly.

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    Reviews for Raven Stole the Moon

    4/5

    118 ratings25 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A grieving mother returns to the place where she lost her son looking for closure. Filled with the Haida folklore of the kushtaka, creating a mystical setting.
    • 2/5
      This is an early book of Stein's (1998) that was re released after the phenomenal success of The Art of Racing in the Rain (2008). I loved racing, but this book is disjointed, unfocused, and just awful. It started out okay, but quickly got murky. This attests how ten years makes a big difference in a writer's skill.
    • 4/5
      Garth Stein, best-selling author of "The Art of Racing in the Rain," explores the spiritual traditions of his Tlingit heritage in this story of grief, redemption, and mystery. Stein's clean, crisp language, strong characterization, and mystical plot make Raven Stole the Moon both enjoyable and inspirational.Story: When Jenna Rosen abandons her comfortable Seattle life to return to Wrangell, Alaska, it's a wrenching return to her past. Long ago the home of her Native American grandmother, Wrangell is located near the Thunder Bay resort, where Jenna's young son, Bobby, disappeared two years before. His body was never recovered, and Jenna is determined to lay to rest the aching mystery of his death. But the spectacular town provides little comfort beyond the steady and tender affections of Eddie, a local fisherman. And then whispers of ancient legends begin to suggest a frightening new possibility about Bobby's fate. Soon, Jenna must sift through the beliefs of her ancestors, the Tlingit - who still tell of powerful, menacing forces at work in the Alaskan wilderness. (From goodreads.com)Spiritual/metaphysical content: Medium. The story walks us through part of the Tlingit creation myth, including a mystical "between lives" state where a dead person's soul can be trapped instead of entering the afterlife, and the kushtaka, physical beings who rule that state. Jenna must work with a shaman and spirit animals to release her son's soul. Interesting exploration of native american spirituality, which parallels some Eastern beliefs. Treat the whole, not the parts. No such thing as good or evil. With practice, people can see beyond the physical world and glimpse the world of spirit: "Things exist and that is all. Nothing is surprising; nothing is startling. It is no more unusual for a bear to talk to a shaman than a twig to fall from a tree. . . . It is simply nature revealing a different side of itself to a shaman."Jenna grapples with the big issues that shape our personal philosophies, such as faith and belief: "Did Moses part the Red Sea? Did Christ heal the inform? Is there room for more than one religion, or is it all the same and people just interepret it differently? What makes is reasonable to believe that otter creatures steal souls? Is it the possibibility of salvation? If so, whose?My take: Wonderful language, moving metaphors. Stein uses spare, direct prose to tell the story with great skill, occasionally using moving metaphors and parables to help the reader envision the incomprehensible. Some readers may find the story too abstract, since Jenna's actions are driven by her need to find closure by choosing to believe that otter-like spirit creatures can steal a person's soul. The story blends the line between myth and reality. However, I felt that plot line added a fascinating spiritual depth to the story and I came to a better appreciation of Tlingit spiritual traditions. I was not necessarily persuaded to "willingly suspend disbelief," but I found the story engaging and meaningful.I was struck by the common threads that are woven through so many world myths and religions. A few examples used in this book include the Great Flood; a River of Tears that separates the land of the living and the Land of Dead Souls; a mystical equivalent to Purgatory; a spirit guide to help the soul find the path to the other side, where family and friends await.The story was a little less compelling than Stein's later work, The Art of Racing in the Rain, but the clean, crisp language and strong characterization make Raven Stole the Moon both enjoyable and inspirational.For more reviews of new age novels, see Fiction For A New Age.
    • 4/5
      In Raven Stole the Moon, Jenna Rosen walks away from a life that is fractured. Two years ago, her young son drowned in a tragic accident at a resort in Alaska. Her husband seems to have moved on, but Jenna cannot let go of her grief. On the anniversary of their son’s death, they attend a party that turns out to be Jenna’s breaking point. She walks away from the party, gets in her husband’s car and drives…straight through to Bellingham, Washington. She gets on the ferry and heads to her home town of Wrangell, Alaska — and straight into a mystery.Jenna and her husband, Robert, had a romantic courtship and a happy marriage, but all that changed when Robert got involved in an investment group that was building a resort in Alaska. While visiting the resort, their son, Bobby, dies and nothing is ever going to be the same. There are issues of blame, issues of money, and very different ways of dealing with grief. Robert shoves everything deep down inside and buries himself in his work, while his wife finds a therapist with a handy prescription pad. They don’t realize how far apart they’ve grown, until they find themselves truly far apart.Jenna receives a strange gift on the ferry and meets an old Tlingit woman who tells her a story about the kushtaka, a shape-shifting spirit who usually appears as an otter. According to legend, they save endangered swimmers from drowning; you can see why the story appealed to her. She will have to come to terms with her son’s loss in a very dramatic way, and at the same time, decide if she and Robert can save their marriage.Author Garth Stein takes the fractured family story and stirs things up. He adds a healthy dose of mysticism; Alaska is full of legends and stories from a variety of native peoples. When I visited there several years ago, every store, every restaurant, every person I met had a story to tell. Many of the people I met believed in the traditional legends and stories — and not just the elderly or people living on the fringes. It is a community that seems both modern and ancient and I can easily imagine the way these myths might act on a distraught woman. While the legends come to life for Jenna in a very real way, the novel is not all ghost story — Robert and Jenna live in the modern world and they have modern problems to deal with.Read my full review here.
    • 4/5
      Intriguing. Jenna, two years after her son's drowning, returns to Alaska not sure what she's seeking. She returns to her grandmother's house & interacts with the Tlingit, sifting through the beliefs of her ancestors, including the kushtaka - the shape shifting otter. I particularly liked the belief that nothing is good vs evil...it just is
    • 4/5
      It started out the way I thought, but didn't end the way I expected. There's a twist that starts up about halfway through, at which point you'll either stick it out or give up. I personally really liked the novel, even thought the twist through me for a loop. Stein's writing, much like Art of Racing in the Rain, is extremely easy to absorb and you'll whip through the book.
    • 3/5
      Garth Stein published Raven Stole the Moon more than a decade before The Art of Racing in the Rain became a New York Times Bestseller. The jacket summary intrigued me: a Seattle woman grieving the loss of her five-year-old son returns to her ancestral hometown in Alaska where she is confronted by Tlingit spirits.

      I wanted to enjoy Raven Stole the Moon more than I did. I found that I could not relate to main character Jenna as much as I related to the dog narrator of The Art of Racing in the Rain. I suspect this is due to a combination of Stein’s inexperience as novelist at the time and the fact that he’s a man. Sometimes male writers have trouble realistically creating female characters (and vice versa, I’m sure.) In some ways, the plot was predictable and both Jenna and her husband’s choices irritated me. The supernatural aspects to the story didn’t quite work for me either.
    • 4/5
      Mostly I loved this. I found the scenes in the first half from Jenna's point of view to be super intriguing - it was the kind of thing I could happily read a few hundred pages of without even thinking of setting it down, and that doesn't happen very often.

      The second half was slightly less interesting (though still very good), perhaps because the foreshadowing in the first bit was so well done that it would have been hard to live up to my expectations. And the last 50 pages in particular could have been improved, I think - it's based on Native American/First Nations folklore, so you'd have to work within that, but I think even a few slight tweaks could have made me like it more.
    • 4/5
      Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein is a book which is hard to categorize. It is one part spiritual journey, one part horror, one part chick lit (dealing with grief & death & love & marriage), and one part Indian folklore. The story revolves around Jenna, a woman who cannot come to terms with her son's death by drowning. One the second anniversary of his death, she leaves her husband at a dinner party and travels back to the remote Alaskan Indian settlement where her son drowned. Once she is back in Alaska, strange things happen to her. She gets caught up in a spiritual world and is unsure of whether it is real or imagined. Mr Stein does a beautiful job of showing the world from Jenna's eyes, where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred and unclear. Interesting and thought-provoking.
    • 5/5
      Read this after enjoying Racing in the Rain so much. Although not as original as RITR, I thought this was also a great read. (The author wrote this over 10 years prior to RITR, but then took the unusual step of revising it after RITR's success. I appreciated his postscript describing what he changed, and why.)
    • 3/5
      Story OverviewOn the surface, Jenna Rosen has it all: a husband who loves her, a comfortable life in Seattle, and good looks. But Jenna is troubled; it shows in her excessive drinking, Valium addiction, depression and the increasing discord in her marriage. But her problems can all be traced back to the loss of her son Bobby, who drowned during a family vacation in Alaska two years ago. Jenna blames herself for Bobby's death and cannot get past it. Yet her husband Robert seems to have been able to put the past to rest. One night at a party, Jenna gets in Robert's car and keeps on driving. Her trip leads her to Bellingham, WA, where she impulsively boards the ferry that will take her to Wrangell, Alaska—a small town where her Native American grandmother lived and close to the Thunder Bay Resort where Bobby died.Once in Wrangell, things happen that lead her to believe that something is calling her to discover the truth about Bobby's death. Her grandmother's Tlingit ancestry begins to manifest itself in strange and frightening ways. As Jenna begins to explore the Tlingit legends of the kushtaka, she begins to believe that Bobby's death was no accident. Determined to find the truth, Jenna embarks on a quest to discover what really happened at Thunder Bay. The result is a terrifying but liberating journey into the heart of the Alaska wilderness and the ancient legends of the Tlingits.My ThoughtsContrary to what you might think, this isn't a new book by Garth Stein, author of the best-selling Art of Racing in the Rain (which is on my TBR list for later this year). Rather, this is a rerelease of his first novel, which was published in 1998. (Note to authors: If your first book is not very successful, keep on trying. You may score later on and then get a rerelease for your earlier books!) Raven Stole the Moon has been out of print for several years, but is being rereleased on March 9. Remember how I told you I was reading a mystery book that I couldn't talk about? This was it!Anyway, on to my thoughts about the book. I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I enjoy stories of ancient legends coming to life in our modern world, and I thought the sections dealing with the kushtaka were disturbing and frightening at times. (Let me tell you, after reading this book, I won't look at otters quite the same way again!) On the other hand, I had some issues with the tone and writing in the book. In many ways, the book is told in a very plain, straightforward way: She did this. Then she did that. He reacted this way. Then the author mixes in some stream-of-consciousness stuff that I found a bit jarring. Here is a small example: She got off the freeway in Bellingham feeling tired and hungry. She pulled into a gas station to get some fuel for the Machine, and she picked up some Corn Nuts and a Coke—fuel for herself. The trip suddenly had the feeling of an all-night drive. Standing under a canopy of fluorescent bulbs. Artificial sunlight. Electrified reality. Everyone would be asleep if they weren't plugged in.My other quibble was that I thought the emotional lives of characters could have been better developed. We know Jenna is devastated by the loss of her son because the author tells us, but I never really felt it from Jenna herself. For me, this kept the book from being more than a competently told story with some supernatural elements. I think with a little more work and polishing, this book could have been something special. However, in the end, I think it falls shy of the mark.My Final RecommendationIf you enjoy books with supernatural elements related to Native American culture, this would be a good read for you. The Tlingit legends and story line were the most compelling part of the story for me, and the descriptions of the kushtaka were interesting and a bit frightening. Although the writing is competent and the story moves along quickly, I didn't think it was unforgettable or out of the ordinary. For this reason, I'm giving it 3 stars.
    • 4/5
      Raven Stole the Moon is author Garth Stein's debut novel, which has since been followed by The Art of Racing in the Rain. Given the latter novel's recent impressive success, Raven Stole the Moon has been nicely repackaged and released anew by Harper. I haven't read The Art of Racing in the Rain, unfortunately, so I can't very well compare the two, but Raven Stole the Moon stands perfectly well on its own two feet (or its own 400 some pages, I should say).The central character in Stein's new (old?) novel, is Jenna Rosen. The opening chapter of the book finds Jenna leaving a cocktail party on the second anniversary of her son's accidental death. Without planning to, Jenna finds herself driving away from her husband and their marriage and embarking on a journey to find out the truth about what really happened the couple's son, Bobby, at a would-have-been Alaskan resort. Taking refuge in her grandmother's hometown of Wrangell, Alaska, Jenna begins search for answers that proves to be none too simple as she encounters temptation in the form of an injured fisherman and as she plumbs the depths of Tlingit mythology only to find that nothing is as it seems. I hate to say too much more lest I spoil a single thing about Raven Stole the Moon, a novel with the plot of a good thiller or even horror novel that doesn't sacrifice characters or themes to suspense. The book is very well-paced, and the mystery keeps the pages turning. Where Stein really succeeds, though, is in elevating Raven Stole the Moon over some of its horror genre counterparts by giving us a set of really well-developed multi-dimensional characters as well as exploring the deeper issues that face those characters. It would be easy to make Jenna and her husband Robert unequivocally bad. Jenna is obviously selfish in her quest to find answers, using whoever she needs to get what she wants, plowing over the lives and needs of those around her as she pursues her goal. It's easy to hate Robert who hires a private investigator to find out what Jenna's up to and considers drugs and hookers as revenge against his wandering wife. Then, however, Stein brings out the death of the couple's son and the decimation it has wreaked upon both of them as individuals and as a couple, explores the road the two have taken to get where they are, the struggles and the misunderstandings, and ultimately the love they had, and might still have even in the aftermath of a tragedy that threatens their marriage. Suddenly, instead of seeing two rotten people made more rotten by the death of their son, we see two struggling characters who ultimately deserve our sympathy. Like the Tlingit patron saint Raven, these characters are neither good nor bad, they just are. Raven Stole the Moon is a richly atmospheric and completely absorbing story that takes Tlingit myth and legend, mixes in a heartbreaking tragedy, and ends up with a satisfying blend of thriller and love story that will keep you turning pages until the very last question is answered.
    • 5/5
      I knew this book was a hit for me, when I fought with myself over whether to go to sleep or read one more chapter. In the end, I finished this story in 2 days.From the moment I started reading, I was pulled in. Gradually the book built up, and in a way that half the book was done before I noticed.I really loved how the author formed the characters in the story. Each one highlighted in a way, that wasn't too descriptive yet gave you everything you needed.Beautifully written, and truly an amazing story.I am recommending this book to everyone. Please note there is some foul language in it, but so worth reading it to get the tale.
    • 4/5
      Two years ago, Jenna Rosen’s son, Bobby, drowned while on vacation in Alaska. To her dismay, his body was never found and she had to return home with her loss and grief. While Robert, Jenna's husband has gotten over his grief, Jenna has found nothing that can help her get over or forget the loss of her son, putting strain on their marriage and making them act more like strangers than a husband and wife.One night Jenna just can't take it anymore and decides she needs to leave, while in the middle of one of Robert's business parties, she just gets in the car and drives off. She eventually finds herself in Wrangell, Alaska, where her Native American grandmother lived - and just a few miles away from where Bobby drowned. There Jenna meets a shaman who tells her of the legends of the Tlingits and their beliefs as to a person's soul.As a big fan of Garth Stein and, of course, Enzo's, when I was contacted to review Raven Stole the Moon, I was like.... "ooh, ooh, me!" And although it seems this is one of Mr. Stein's previous works (maybe even his first), I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this story. It is definitely nothing like The Art of Racing in the Rain, this is more of a thriller, and at more than one point, it even felt creepy along the lines of a horror story. As a mother, you can't help but to feel Jenna's pain. The overwhelming loss of a child - trying anything and everything to overcome that grief and to eventually find a path to healing... it really is heartbreaking. This is her journey to not only save herself but also to save her son's soul.I really found it interesting to read of the Kushtakas (a/k/a shape-shifting soul stealers). I liked the mystery and even the fright that came with their myths and legends. Mr. Stein really has a way with words. I love the voice that he uses to narrate his stories. It was the same way with The Art of Racing in the Rain. I don't know if I can explain it right, but it's soft and soothing... even though there was a time or two where my hairs were standing on end... I found his writing calming.This is a heartwrenching story about grief, loss and healing that it is expertly intertwined with Native American folklore making it a fascinating read. I truly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.This book was provided for review Terra Communications.
    • 5/5
      A great story combining the ties of family life, love and loss with native mystical lore to create a story you won't soon forget.Jenna and Robert seem to have it all. A great life, great friends, and their little boy, Bobby. While trying to expand their earthly wealth, they travel to the newly built Thunder Bay Resort for a little business and a little pleasure. But things are not always what they seem, for the land this place inhabits was owned long before the business officers arrived...and they mean to keep what they feel entitled to.
    • 4/5
      I was actually pretty nervous about this book - not too far in, it took a decided turn toward magical realism. You may or may not know this, but magical realism and I do NOT get along. I consistently struggle with being able to become fully immersed in these types of stories, and often find them a chore to get through.I was pleasantly surprised, then, to find myself becoming quickly engrossed in this tale of magic and tragedy in a small Alaskan town. I found the sections with David, the shaman, to be particularly powerful, and found his tales of Tlingit mythology to be fascinating. Stein does a masterful job of bringing the spirits and lore of the kushtaka to life in the pages of his story, and it completely worked for me, in ways that I would have never suspected.It did take me a little while to really connect with the characters - especially Jenna, although I suspect this was more a result of the narrative style (short, choppy sentences which seemed somewhat abrupt in the initial sections about Jenna) - and once Jenna got to Alaska and the story picked up, I became so involved that this was no longer an issue.And it is a great story - not only the fascinating pieces of native Tlingit lore, but the themes of love and loss and forgiveness were perfectly woven together to make for a completely compelling read. I definitely enjoyed it - if you were a fan of Stein's recent mega-hit, The Art of Racing in the Rain, this is a must-read!
    • 4/5
      Jenna lost her son, Bobby, in a tragic drowning while on a business-related vacation with her family at a soon-to-be-opened wilderness lodge. Two years later at home with her husband Robert in Seattle, Jenna has yet to recover. She's seen numerous psychiatrists, but has yet to come to terms with Bobby's death and the changes their loss made to their marriage. After a fight at yet another business related event, Jenna takes off in Robert's car. At first she just wants to get home. In the end, she just keeps driving, running away from Robert by default. Eventually, she ends up headed on the ferry to Alaska, the home of her Tlingit grandmother and the place where Bobby died. Can returning to the source of so much pain in her life help her move forward, or will it send her further into depression and despair?The first half of this novel had all the makings of a great episode of "The X Files." After Jenna lands in Alaska after leaving Robert, she has the most creepy experiences. Because she doesn't completely trust her sanity, she's not sure if she believes what she sees. What she may have experienced is creepy and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the potential of kushtaka, the otter people gifted with the ability to shift their shape and "convert" souls. When Jenna wonders if the kushtaka are real and if they may have some connection to the death of her son, I could just imagine Mulder and Scully investigating and having a field day with all the possibilities. During that first half, I was in heaven. I felt that I could relate to Jenna and I wanted her to find her way to where ever it was that she needed to go.The second half of the novel didn't work as well for me. I grew impatient with Jenna and her attitude about anyone other than herself. The story became much less suspenseful because it featured Robert and his attempts to find Jenna more prominently. This weighted the novel down and was distracting. I wanted the novel to be about Jenna and her discoveries. I wasn't so much concerned about Robert. It's not that he didn't matter, but I wish there could have been more a more concise way to bring him back into the story without the play by play. Robert also put enough normalcy and reality back into the story that when the kushtaka arc built back up, I missed it. I was no longer prepared for it. Had I recognized it immediately, the end of this novel really would have packed a punch.I didn't like this novel as much as The Art of Racing in the Rain. However, Raven Stole the Moon was more challenging and in some ways more interesting. I enjoyed the Alaskan setting, history, and spirituality that were infused throughout. I liked that Jenna and Robert were a mess and were prone to making rotten decisions when under stress. It made them human. The highlight for me was the section where Jenna relives her last moments with Bobby. They were incredibly heartbreaking and powerful. Had Stein maintained the same pacing and level of suspense consistently throughout, this novel would have been absolutely incredible.
    • 4/5
      Ever since the drowning her heir son, Bobby two years ago, Jenna Rosen and her husband, Robert are more like strangers then husband and wife. Jenna decides to get away from her life and Robert for a while. She takes off for Alaska. This is where it all began. Where Bobby drowned. Jenna experiences some strange things like…a wolf or wolf type dog chases her through the woods. Jenna meets a man named David. He is a shaman. He tells Jenna of a legend hat the Tlingits believe. It has to do with the belief that not all people die peacefully, so people’s souls are trapped to wither wander aimlessly or take form in another being. What does this have to do with Bobby? Could this mean that he might be alive after all?Raven Stole the Moon is the first book I have read by Garth Stein. I have wanted to try his work out when I first heard about The Art of Racing in the Rain but just haven’t gotten around to it. After reading this book, I definitely plan to check the book out. I have to admit that I did get a little lost at first trying to figure out in my mind about how the shaman and the Tlingit beliefs really played a part in this story and Jenna’s son’s death. Once I out it all straight, I was able to fully sit back and immerse myself in this book. I found that I absolutely was delighted with this book as well as Mr. Stein’s writing style. He really brought the characters to alive on an emotional level that made you connect with them in the moment. I only have one last comment to make and that is… you have got to check Raven Stole the Moon for yourself.
    • 4/5
      Garth Stein's third novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain, was a huge success. It was so successful, that I do believe a movie is being made as a result. In order to capitalize on Stein's success, his publishers have decided to re-release his first novel. Originally published in 1998, Raven Stole the Moon, tells the story of Jenna Rosen. Two years ago at the Thunder Bay Resort, near Wrangell, Alaska (the hometown of her Native American grandmother), Jenna's young son, Bobby, disappeared. She has no idea what happened to him, let alone what happened to his soul. Unable to let go of her grief, Jenna suddenly decides that she must go back to Wrangell. And she must go now. Leaving her husband at a party they were attending together, Jenna hops into their car and soon finds herself heading towards her past. Once in Wrangell, Jenna becomes involved with a local fisherman, gets threatened by the Kushtakas (spirits that steals souls) and schooled about the Kushtakas by a shaman. She soon realizes that Bobby's soul has been captured by the Kushtakas and she must now find a way to aid Bobby's soul to the Land of the Dead Souls, where he will finally be able to rest. Stein has created a novel that is both interesting and engaging. We have the undying love of a mother, Native American legends, a marriage riddled with grief and unhappiness and the Alaskan wilderness. Jenna Rosen is a character that you can't help but befriend. You feel her sadness and want her to pull through this journey of rescue, because not only is she saving her son's soul, but she is also saving herself in the process. The rest of the characters in the book are written so vividly and accurately, that you can easily visualize them. In fact, it is through these textured characters that we are introduced to the various Tlingit legends, which I believe helped make the spiritual aspect of the novel accessible. As for the Alaskan backdrop, Stein has clearly captured the wilderness and small town feel of Wrangell. The tone and strength of Stein's writing and voice are well defined in this debut novel. In fact, I believe that from the first page of the novel, Stein easily draws you into Jenna Rosen's world. You want to find out why this woman is thinking about drowning herself in the tub and why the notion of survival instinct is inherent in her thoughts. How did Jenna Rosen get to this mindset? Raven Stole the Moon is definitely a book that I would highly recommend. It is not my usual book fare, but I am truly glad that I decided to give it a go. Based on this book, I will be picking up Stein's other works and adding them to my TBR list.
    • 4/5
      After an argument with her husband at a party, Jenna Rosen impulsively takes off on an unplanned trip to Alaska. Jenna and Robert have been struggling with their marriage since their young son Bobby drowned at a posh resort near the Alaskan coast. The fight is the last straw for Jenna, who drives away from the party in her husband's car and boards a ferry taking her to what will be a very confusing, yet cathartic destination. Upon arriving, Jenna begins to check out the small town of Wrangell, where she is immediately drawn into stories and legends of the Tlingit Indians and the Tlingit kushtaka spirits, who are the thieves of souls. Meeting a local man named Eddie who offers her a room in his home in which to stay, Jenna is quickly drawn into strange circumstances and she soon comes to believe that the kushtaka spirits are not just a legend. Jenna has reason to believe that these spirits have stolen away her son's soul and that they are after hers as well. With her relationship with Eddie becoming more than just platonic and her growing belief that the malevolent kushtaka spirits are vying for her soul, Jenna escapes once again to find an Alaskan shaman to help her outrun the kushtaka and to restore her son's soul to rest. Blending elements of magical realism with the interpersonal story of Jenna's life, Raven Stole the Moon is a very complex and dark work of fiction.I have read numerous good reviews of Garth Stein's book The Art of Racing in the Rain, and though I have not yet read it, I have been looking forward to sampling something by this author. I was very pleased to have been contacted to review this book, a re-release of Stein's first work of fiction that forays deeply into the magical realism genre. I have to say that the book was a little different than what I had been expecting, but nonetheless it was a great reading experience.First of all, I felt that the relationship that was portrayed between Jenna and her husband Robert was very convincing and realistic. The arguments that they got caught up in were intensely dramatic and real and at times I would wince at the abuse that the two of them were hurling at each other. At no time did I feel that the couple didn't love each other anymore. Rather I felt that the heartache that was their son's death had compromised their emotions and minds and they couldn't seem to get any kind of emotional equilibrium achieved. It was very sad to see them so distraught, and by alienating each other, they were really alienating themselves. There are some sections of the book that deal with Jenna's total inability to cope with her child's death and her foray into prescription drug addiction and alcoholism. I felt that those sections were also realistic and they made me feel doubly sad for Jenna because it was clear that she had no handle on her feelings at all. When she basically runs away from her husband to travel to Alaska, I had been hoping that she would be able to use her time away as a means of healing herself and putting the past behind her.But Jenna doesn't seem able to outrun her past, because from the moment she sets foot in Alaska, forces beyond her control seem to be gathering towards her, pushing their way into her mind and forcing her to believe in things that she finds at first outlandish. When she meets Eddie and begins to camp out at his house, he stresses to her the bizarreness and unbelievability of the ideas that Jenna is beginning to have, which drives a wedge between them. Though they are both attracted to one another, the tension of their differing beliefs keeps them apart, and it is in this section that we first begin to see the subtle magical realism in the tale creeping out of the story.Though Robert is frantic to find his wife, Jenna seems to have no time to devote to thoughts of Robert, or Eddie for that matter, because she is starting to feel oddly compelled to discover whether the legendary kushtaka spirits have stolen her son's soul. Though it seems to be an off-the-wall assumption, the nuances of the story make it almost credible that Jenna would be looking towards these spirits for her son's salvation. The magical elements in the story were crisply delineated but didn't come off as awkward of clumsy. They also had a very artistic feel to them, which went far in my eyes to build towards a compelling and interesting conclusion. I think part of the reason for the feeling of cohesion in this story were the mythological qualities of the stories peppered throughout the first half of the book. Through the use of these stories, Stein captures a lot of the local feel of Alaska and its Native American inhabitants, greatly detailing stories of the Tlingit Indian spirit Raven.In the last two sections of the book, the story turns sharply from interpersonal narrative to a detailed and frightening magical realism novel. Jenna is pursued and captured by the kushtaka spirits and it is not clear what will happen to her or, for that matter, her soul. Jenna also finds interesting information about the whereabouts of her son's soul and the story builds towards a heart-racing confrontation between the humans and the spirits who want to absorb them. I found this battle between the kushtaka and the humans to be woven really tightly into the story and because of the slightly otherworldly aspect of the earlier plot, it didn't seem like the story was overwhelmed with awkward and outrageous elements. In fact, I felt that the story's conclusion had really been built solidly on its magical realism foundation and it all came together in a rather scary and mind-bending way.One thing that I thought I would mention in this review is the kushtaka spirits themselves. They come into the story as a sort of shape-shifter whose natural shapes seem to be of very human looking otters. These shape-shifters find ways to isolate human souls in peril and then take them down to their underground warren where they are transformed into kushtaka themselves. It is said in the story that once they have abducted you, you are never able to leave and that theirs is a hellish existence that no one would chose for themselves. They are remarkably frightening when they show up in the story as well, looking almost human but for the black glossy eyes and craggy teeth. They are also very forceful about abducting the humans, changing their shapes into those of people that the characters know and trust, stealing them away into the night with nary a sound. Stien mentions in the afterword of his novel that almost all of the otherworldly aspects of his story, including the kushtaka, have come directly from the real legends of the Tlingit Indians who inhabited this part of the world. I was really interested in that bit by the author and felt that he did an exemplary job of incorporating these legends into his tale.I thought that this was a very interesting and diverting story and I think that those who have read other books by Garth Stein might be interested in this singularly unique tale that he has told. I think it's very different from the other books that he has out there and I really ended up liking it a lot. I also think that those readers who enjoy stories imbued with a good dose of magical realism would get a lot of enjoyment out of this tale. It's just spooky enough to make you want to read it in a well lit area but it also has the organic and personal feel of a novel about relationships. A very uncommon story by a well loved author. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      The Short of It:Raven Stole the Moon is almost like reading two novels, side by side. There’s the everyday, here and now part of it, and then there’s the other part that centers around mysterious Native American legends and shapeshifters. At times, it’s a wild ride.The Rest of It:Raven Stole the Moon is not a new book for Stein. In fact, it was first published back in 1998, but after his success with The Art of Racing in the Rain, his publisher decided to release this new edition of Raven Stole the Moon. However, when I first picked it up, I believed that this was a new book so I was a tad surprised when I came upon the afterward in the book and was told that it wasn’t.I had mixed feelings over this book.The first half of the book worked for me. Jenna and her husband, Robert, experience what I believe, has got to be the hardest thing to get through; the death of a child. Jenna is grief-stricken, lost and confused and looking for closure. Stein does an excellent job of communicating that feeling of loss to me. Plus, I liked her a lot. She is easily someone who I could be friends with. When she arrives in Wrangell, Alaska she is sort of like flotsam in the sea. She just sort of drifts between point A and point B. When she lands into the arms of Eddie, their attraction is obvious.As we learn more about the circumstances of her son’s death, we are introduced to the Kushtakas. The legends of the Tlingit center around shapeshifters that are part man, part otter. These Kushtakas are soul-stealers. They change shape to lure you in. Once captured, you spend the rest of eternity as one of them. So in essence, your soul is never at rest.The introduction to this legend intrigued me, but by the end of the book, much of it seemed far-fetched. I felt as if the novel was pulling in two different directions. Part of it wanted to stick to the relationship aspect between Jenna, her husband, and Eddie. The other part wanted to focus on the ancient legends but the two never really came together for me. I think it would have been a more powerful read, had a bit more time been spent on the ending to blend the two together.I will say this, this novel is quite different from anything I’ve ever read. If you enjoy reading about Native American legends and can appreciate the spiritual aspect of the novel, you will enjoy this book. Also, Stein has a way with characters. Their mannerisms, their likes and dislikes, the way they use language, all come together to form real flesh and blood.Source: This ARC was provided by Terra Communications.
    • 4/5
      When I was growing up my mother was a storyteller. She told Southern folk tales and some Celtic tales, but most of all she loved to tell trickster stories, so I grew up with Raven and Jack and Anansi, and I was definitely curious to read this book because of its title and loose association with the story of how Raven stole the moon. I spent summers in Seattle from the time I was in the third grade and lived there for ten years (before the rain forced me to flee), so I like to keep my eye on Seattle writers. I haven't read Garth Stein's other book (The Art of Racing in the Rain), which I think of as the dog book because of the amazingly cute cover, but now I will.This book draws on the folklore of the Tlingit people to frame its utterly modern tale of Jenna and her search for her son who she can't quite believe is dead. Escaping her safe Seattle life for Wrangell, Alaska, Jenna is forced to face her fears, her beliefs, her history, her choices, and her life as she struggles to put together the pieces of the ancient puzzle that may bring her son back to her.Stein tells a great story here - it's a real page-turner with plenty of creepy, scary moments that will make you wonder what else may be out there. In a way this is a story that has been told over and over again and yet Stein tells it through fresh eyes that are never sentimental, never cliched, never simple. The characters are utterly believable as are their choices. I loved that Stein never took the easy way out. He held my attention and made me want to keep reading long past my bedtime.Thanks to the nice people at Terra Communications for giving me an advance copy of this book to review.
    • 4/5
      From My Blog....Raven Stole the Moon is a hauntingly beautiful, heart-wrenching page-turner, which immediately captures the reader's attention and does not let go. Garth Stein's novel weaves in the beliefs and the culture of the Tlingit of Alaska, in this well-written novel filled with a deep sadness, Native American legends, and the longing to become whole. The novel begins with the 2-year anniversary of the death of Jenna Rosen's son, whose body was never recovered in the wilderness of Alaska. Jenna heads to Wrangell, Alaska, in a desperate attempt to find answers to the strange and mysterious circumstances surrounding her son's death. Robert, left behind in Seattle, desperate to find Jenna, hires a private investigator to find his wife. Stein does an exceedingly brilliant job with this novel. Raven Stole the Moon is a vividly written novel, which came at times to be rather disturbing, however, not without reason, which is one of the reasons Raven Stole the Moon is such a brilliant and haunting novel of love, loss, and the question of what being whole truly means. Stein's novel would make for an excellent weekend of reading, be certain to have tissues handy.
    • 4/5
      Jenna Rosen used to have a wonderful life – married to a man she loved, raising a little boy who meant the world to her. But a fateful trip to Thunder Bay, a lavish resort in Alaska, steals away everything. Bobby, Jenna’s five year old son dies in a drowning accident and Jenna feels responsible for his death. Her way of dealing with the guilt is to turn to alcohol and prescription drugs. Her husband, Robert, turns his grief to anger and directs it mostly at Jenna. Two years after Bobby’s death, Jenna impulsively leaves Robert and boards a ferry from Seattle to a tiny town in Alaska where her grandmother once lived…looking for answers in the cold and remote wilderness of Alaska.Jenna’s journey for closure quickly becomes a terrifying ordeal where Jenna must not only sift through the legends and beliefs of her ancestors, but must face the devastation of her marriage.On its surface, Raven Stole the Moon is a supernatural thriller which brings to life the Tlingit (pronounced Klink-it) legend of the Kushtaka – otter people who steal the souls of the dead. The Kushtaka are shape-shifters who can appear in whatever guise they desire to trick people into going with them. Jenna almost immediately encounters the Kushtaka upon her arrival in Alaska … and Stein amps up the tension and fear, successfully driving the story forward.But to classify Raven Stole the Moon as just a thriller would be wrong. There are deeper issues embedded in the novel: how does a parent survive the loss of a child? And how does a marriage evolve or devolve in the aftermath of such an event? What role does religious faith play in recovery? How does someone forgive themselves for a tragedy for which they feel responsible? These questions resonate through the story. Jenna appears to have no religious faith until she discovers the religion of the Tlingit which puts her on a pathway to self-discovery and provides closure for the loss of her son. Her journey is not just a physical journey, it is a spiritual one.I read this novel in just under three days. The story pulled me in and made me want to continue reading to find the answers. I loved the German Shepherd who makes an appearance as Jenna’s spirit guide. I admit to being terrified at some of the scenes when Jenna was being pursued by the Kushtaka. That said, the writing is not perfect. At times the dialogue felt stilted and I longed for more development of some of the supporting characters. I did not always understand Jenna or her motivations.Raven Stole the Moon is Garth Stein’s debut novel – released initially 13 years ago, it is now being re-released by Harper Collins after the success of his bestseller The Art of Racing in the Rain. I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain which I read last year (read my review). There are many differences between the two novels – perhaps most obvious the level of the writing. Stein has certainly grown as a writer in the 13 years between books. Despite some of the flaws in the prose, Raven Stole the Moon is still a worthwhile read, especially for those interested in Native American legend. The strengths of the book are its engaging storyline and the theme of recovery through spiritual awareness.
    • 5/5
      This is a slightly updated re-release of Stein's first novel originally published in 1996 and out of print for some time. Don't expect any Enzo-like characters here--this book is TERRIFYING, a flat out, brilliantly crafted horror story. Stein is a "blood quantum verified" registered member of the Tlingit Indian Tribe of Alaska (his great-grandmother was full blooded Tlingit), and he has taken one of their more terrifying legends and brought it to the modern world. This is a story about Kushtakas, otter spirit shapeshifters who steal souls from people found alone in the woods and waters near Klawock and Wrangell Alaska. Two years ago when Jenna's young son drowned in Thunder Bay, she had not heard the legends. But with her world falling apart around her in Seattle, Jenna decides to go back to Alaska and try to find peace. What she finds is a nightmare that leaves her fighting for her own life and soul. The writing in this book is masterful--I spent no small amount of time curled up in a ball keeping a wary eye on the windows and door locks while reading it. And the last 40 pages--I pretty much forgot to breathe. Yes, it's THAT good.