Mary Jo Johnson has a secret.
For twelve-year-old Mary Jo in 1949, "consent" is a foreign concept, especially when it comes to a much older and more powerful friend of the family, Roger Bradfield. Mary Jo becomes pregnant, and her parents have a plan, one that protects Roger, maintains their status in the community, and—hopefully—allows Mary Jo to go on as if nothing happened. But it's not that easy. Something did happen, and Mary Jo's life is broken. All of which creates a cascade of secrets and lies that will define her life and cast a shadow over the lives of everyone around her for generations. At the end, no matter how hard she tries to hide what happened, the truth finds its way to the surface. But at what cost?
"Reminiscent of the writing of Joyce Carol Oates . . . Barksdale Inclán masterfully weaves a powerful, poignant story that crawls under our skin."—Ruthie Marlenée, author of Agave Blues, Curse of the Ninth and Isabela's Island
"What the Moon Did is a masterful telling of a family's hidden tragedy and the unhealed wounds that long ripple throughout their lives."—Lynn Sheene, author of The Last Time I Saw Paris
"The story is deeply compelling, immersing the reader in the mindsets and values of the 1950s, '70s and the present, showing both how we get pulled into abusive cycles and how we can break free of them."—Christina Lynch, author of The Italian Party
