Hang the Moon

In Prohibition-era Virginia, Sallie Kincaid races from the back steps of a big house to the driver’s seat of an outlaw fleet and, finally, into her own power. She’s the Duke’s daughter—raised on speed, boldness, and the belief that Kincaids take care of their own. A childhood accident sends Sallie away. A funeral summons brings her back. And when the Duke goes down in a daredevil leap, Sallie collides with a county already cracking: bootleggers versus reformers, kin against kin, and a bright, frail little brother standing in the middle. Jeannette Walls gives Sallie a voice that’s tender, stubborn, and true as she navigates a ruthless sheriff and an aunt who wants the empire, a smooth-talking ballplayer, a charming war pilot, hard mountain men, and a new stepmother who loves the boy Sallie can’t seem to reach. Raids, roadblocks, a hospital siege, armored trucks on back roads, even a biplane bombing run—this isn’t just moonshine; it’s a war for who gets to make the rules. When the big house finally burns, Sallie has to decide what’s worth saving and what she’s done pretending. She makes peace her way, rebuilds family from pieces no one else wanted, and hangs on to the one thing her mama told her never to forget.

• Listeners who love propulsive historical fiction with a fierce, grounded heroine
• Fans of Prohibition-era tales, rural politics, and found-family arcs
• Book clubs that want big themes—power, mercy, and who gets to write the rules

Jeannette Walls is the bestselling author of The Glass Castle, Half Broke Horses, and The Silver Star. A former journalist, she grew up in the American Southwest and West Virginia and now lives in rural Virginia. Her fiction blends keen observation with storytelling that feels lived-in and true.