Whether set in a cottage or a Montreal market, a graveyard or a backyard, these stories transport readers into the lives of people they’ll recognize. We may not have neighbors who want to make squirrels into pets or sell us a piece of the moon; our son may not have been asked to donate sperm to his girlfriend’s mother; our sister may not want us to bring a dead cat across the border; we may not have an imaginary husband, a secret brother, or a friend who’s turned to murder in a custody battle. But in each of these stories, people are trying to figure out how to live in a world that doesn’t always seem hospitable. The Pull of the Moon examines both human nature and animal instinct, as well as the negotiation between these impulses and desires. Ultimately, these characters want what most of us want: connection, belonging, love, and forgiveness.
Industry Reviews
Winner of the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. A Globe and Mail top 100 pick for 2014. "Danger: High Voltage. Julie Paul's stories are masterful and sexy." --Kathleen Winter, award-winning author of Annabel "Fresh and contemporary...real life captured eloquently and with sublety." --Lee Henderson, author of The Man Game "The Pull of the Moon is a collection laced with surprises and deftly woven moments of wonder. Julie Paul's is a world where families, friendships, and relationships fall apart, and where desperate people struggle to put them back together." --Daniel Griffin, author of Stopping for Strangers "Julie Paul's wistful, charming stories--full of humor and subtle revelations--strike gently but powerfully at the heart. The Pull of the Moon is a delight." --Shaena Lambert, author of Oh My Darling "The Pull Of The Moon isn't a world of straightforward happy endings. It's a world where nothing is perfect, and people must learn to live with each other, despite their loved one's complex flaws. Julie Paul's Pull Of The Moon consistently succeeds in portraying such a world, thanks to Paul's ability to capture both the warmth and the strangeness of the way people behave." --The Winnipeg Review "Paul is both a superb story teller and a fine poet. She wastes no words. Her characters are believable, sympathetic--and highly unusual. These twelve stories are funny--often very funny--but they tingle with human longing and fear...You'll want to buy this one for your friends. And then borrow it back." --Arleen Pare, award-winning author of Lake of Two Mountains "The through-line in Julie Paul's second collection of stories is a small yet powerful transformation in character: in each, a person feels the near-physical pull of something outside themselves...Collections can be hit-and-miss affairs. This one is thoroughly good." --Globe and Mail "Modern short stories can be plotless, pretentious and downright irritating. This isn't a problem with the work of [Julie] Paul, who writes insightful and entertaining stories, often with a West Coast connection. Her male central characters tend to be good men felled by grief. Her women can be loopy and fanciful. This new collection of 12 stories doesn't disappoint." --The Toronto Star "[The Pull of the Moon] is a reminder that we are dealing with humans and human behaviour seen up close: funny, sad, inadequate, tragic, venal, conflicted, desperate, sometimes even noble. This particular cartography is often entertaining, frequently disturbing, and always illuminating." --The Coastal Spectator
