Carole*s Sunday Review: Gateway to the moon

Author: Mary Morris 

Title: Gateway to the Moon

Genre: Historical Fiction & Fiction

Pages: ebook

Will Be Published: April 10th 2018

Where I Got It: My shelf (Netgalley)

Entrada de la Luna is the sort of town that ambitious children try to leave behind them. Poor health, broken marriages, and poverty are the norm, and luck is unusual. So when Miguel Torres notices an advertisement for a position looking after two small boys a few towns over, he jumps at the opportunity.

Rachel Rothstein is not the sort of parent Miguel expected to be working for, though. A frustrated artist, Rachel moved her family away from New York looking for a fresh start, but so far New Mexico has not solved any of the problems they brought with them. But Miguel genuinely loves the work and he finds many of the Rothstein family's customs similar to ones he sees in his own community.

Studded throughout this present-day narrative are historical vignettes following the ancestors of Entrada's residents, beginning in fifteenth-century Spain and moving forward to the discovery of America, highlighting the torture, pursuit, and resistance of the Jewish people throughout history, leading to the founding of the enclave that Miguel now calls home. A beautiful novel of shared history, Gateway to the Moon is a moving and memorable portrait of home and community. 

I will admit this was an interesting read with some interesting characters. The story follows some of Entrada's residents past and present. Everyone is tied together by blood. The main character, though, was Miguel and Rachel. Miguel is a teenager who is hired to babysit Rachel's kids. There are other POVs as well.

The multiple POVs were fun and interesting. However, I started not caring about halfway through. I just wanted to see what would happen next to Rachel and Miguel. Sure I did like seeing Entrada in other eyes and we got to see some secrets and learn more about the good and the bad of the town...but I honestly just really liked those two POVs. 

I felt bad for Miguel. He is just a kid who wants a telescope to view the stars and moon. Rachel was a total spaz, but I did like her. I saw a little of myself in her. She really does need a therapist though...

Lots of secrets and I'm not sure how no one connected the dots sooner or if they flat out ignore the BIG "secret". It was obvious to Rachel who is not the brightest bulb sometimes. I did find it interesting that no one questioned the rituals and why they do them. 

The writing was done well. The author does have a way with words especially with inner thoughts and contemplation. I loved how she made the moon so important to the story. It was subtle but the moon and the town were the connectors in the story. Well done. 

Well...now the ending was....something. It just sort of ended. There really was no conclusion. Lots of unanswered questions. What happened to Rachel and her kids? What happened to Miguel and Elena? So open-ended. I don't mind open-ended depending...but I did want more. Just a little more. 

In the end, this wasn't a bad people story. I enjoyed watching Miguel and Rachel stumble through life. They really were two peas in a pod. The other characters were interesting, but I did just want to read the main story. Good writing and interesting characters. The ending was too open-ended for my liking. I'll give this 3 stars.