Finding Moon

"Finding Moon" is a novel written in 1996 by Tony Hillerman. The novel is based on an idea that Hillerman had developed and intended to set in post-World War II Europe; in fact, many characters are named after soldiers he knew while serving. He would later set the story in Southeast Asia in 1975, coinciding with the fall of Saigon, the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, and the beginning of the Marcos era in the Philippines.

The plot concerns Moon Mathias, the managing editor of a small Colorado newspaper. When Moon receives a call that his mother has collapsed from a heart attack in an airport across the nation from her home, he discovers that his mother was on her way to Manila to bring his deceased brother's daughter to the United States. With his mother incapacitated, Moon takes over the mission and flies to Cambodia to try to find the niece he didn't know existed and to redeem himself to his mother.

This novel is different in tone from many of Hillerman's other works, especially as it is not a mystery in the traditional sense. There is an investigation of sorts as Moon discovers the details of his brother's life, but no crime instigates the search.

Publication information

* "Finding Moon" HarperCollins [http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061092619/Finding_Moon/index.aspx] , Mass Market Paperback, 1996; Pages: 384; ISBN 0061092614.