AMERICAN MOON

A traveling musician discovers a child alone in a motel room in Berner’s novella.

Austen is driving to California with his guitar in tow after a breakup, hoping to make his music dreams come true. Austen is staying at a Missouri motel when, after midnight, he hears soft cries from an adjacent room. When the cries escalate to desperate wails, and Austen’s calls to the motel office go unanswered, he investigates. With a knock, the door swings open, revealing a young girl strapped in a car seat. Softly singing “Here Comes the Sun,” Austen gathers the child in his arms and rocks her. When Taylor, the girl’s drug-addicted mother returns to the room, she’s coming down from a pill-high after her attempt to get clean was derailed by shady dealers. Taylor is furious to find a stranger with her daughter (whose name is Grace), but soon realizes she’s been well cared for. Worried about Taylor’s plan to drive in her current state, Austen suggests Taylor and Grace travel with him instead, setting a strange but healing road trip in motion. As Taylor fights the urge to score pills, they visit the Trail of Tears, eat at a roadside taqueria, and sleep under the stars in New Mexico. Along the way, Austen and Taylor share personal details that allow for a deeper understanding of themselves and each other. “We go through life half-asleep,” Taylor muses. “We go from one pleasure or amusement to another over and over again just to stay sane.” Reflections on Indigenous history, war, and school shootings contrast with simple moments like eating ice cream, visiting a gem shop, and Taylor lovingly tending to Grace. Berner’s characters are drawn with humanity, and he explores timely themes with heart, though his tendency to disclose backstory and historical details in an expository, somewhat detached fashion creates a feeling of distance. Still, the hard-won lessons woven throughout will resonate with readers who enjoy an introspective story.

A soulful meditation on struggle, hope, and healing.