Book Review: The Sun, the Earth & the Moon by Larry Benjamin

Ebook Edition: £3.99 (€4.67 / $5.15) | Paperback Edition: £10.99 (€12.86 / $14.18) | Smashwords | Amazon | Kobo | Google Play | Apple

Review

My god, I don’t even know where to begin. There aren’t words that can capture the depth of my feelings when reading this book.

I first read it a few years ago because someone had recommended it. Somehow, I always seem to read Larry Benjamin’s books while I’m on vacation up in the mountains. For the second year in a row, I was grateful to have picked up one of his when I could have fresh air and space to process it afterward. In this case, I spent most of an afternoon crying (for different reasons) and then trying to explain to my family that my emotional output was over a book.

This time around, I knew what to expect. I also had the exceptional privilege to work behind the scenes, proofreading for the second edition. Nothing I can say here will ever touch the awe I felt at having my fingers on it, even for just a moment.

This is hands down one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking, and uplifting books I’ve ever read. It cracked me open, pulled out my heart, and then miraculously pieced me back together.

Like with previous books I’ve read from the author, it’s not necessarily in the story as a whole (though I do love this one) nor in the beautiful, flowing sentences (I love those too). It’s in certain small details, things that resonate for one reason or another.

For example, there’s a point in the narrative when a seemingly everyday action leads to a virtual avalanche, like pulling one brick out of a wall and having it collapse. A loved one of mine was in a very similar precarious position, with a very similar outcome. The first time I read that part, I sat up and gasped because how in the world could someone miles away and in vastly different circumstances know so exactly how I felt?

My life looks very little like the characters in the story. But I don’t believe we need to experience every last thing down to the bone in order to be seen and understood. And that is how I felt when reading this book. It wasn’t in the specifics of the situations but in the emotions and the interactions between the characters.

In my opinion, this book specifically should be read and analyzed by literature students. Not only is it a good lesson in recent history, a microcosm of a particular era, it’s also incredibly well-written. It deserves to be studied in depth.

There isn’t much more I can say because this is a story that needs to be read with fresh eyes and heart. I highly recommend taking an afternoon to do nothing else but read. And make sure to have a box of tissues handy.

For gorgeous prose, emotional catharsis, and hope shining through, I give this 10 fountain pens.

About the Author

Bronx-born wordsmith, Larry Benjamin considers himself less a writer than an artist whose chosen medium is the written word rather than clay or paint or bronze. He is the author of two previous novels: In His Eyes, and Unbroken. He is also the author of Damaged Angels, a collection of short stories, and the allegorical novella Vampire Rising.

He lives in Philadelphia with his husband and their two dogs.

Social Media