I'll Be Looking at the Moon

by Lucia Barrett

Overview

[Barrett is] a highly descriptive writer who paints lovely pictures of cobblestone streets, sun-dazzled plazas, and intimate cafes.
Barrett's heroine relies on her own determination and creates her own successes rather than waiting to be rescued by a man. It's a welcome contrast to the sexist, demeaning attitudes that defined Elizabeth's childhood and a satisfying victory for a protagonist who broke a cycle of abuse and unhappiness.
A sweet story of strength and second chances.
- Kirkus Reviews
Elizabeth Morgan, a young woman, from a rich but destructive New England family, finishes college to work in France where she meets her Italian lover. Together they form an unusually passionate and tender bond.

Star Rating: 5/5
Author Lucia Barrett has created a moving story of life, loss, love and rediscovery ... that is sure to touch the hearts of all readers.
- San Francisco Book Review

However, a misunderstanding between them which raises specters of her abusive parents, sends her fleeing back to the States, unaware she is pregnant. She conceals her whereabouts from the boy's father. He, in turn, is desperate to find her and explain that his seemingly cruel actions were necessary to save her life.

I'll Be Looking At The Moon is a novel with such beautifully vivid writing that readers can close their eyes and picture every scene.
Barrett has earned a strong 5 stars.
- Manhattan Book Review

After fifteen years, her son - the image of his father - goes off to private school and Elizabeth is faced with loneliness, separation and longing. She returns to France to find answers about the man she knows is her true love.

I'll Be Looking at the Moon is a richly-told, warmhearted story ... it would make a terrific soap opera in the classic Dynasty or Dallas style, dysfunctional family, romantic Mediterranean lover, and all.
- Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader

Can she overcome a painful truth about her brother-protector, the decline into madness of her mother and a lifetime of self-doubts to discover in herself the courage to claim her right to romantic love with her Italian lover?

I''ll Be Looking at the Moon received an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

While it can easily be cataloged as romance, the novel has deeper layers to it, which surpass the stereotypical love connection between a man and a woman. It is also a story about family and above all about the Self.
- Bestsellers World Review Reviewed by Timea Barabas

Star Rating: 5 / 5
"As [Elizabeth] makes a life in Lyon, France, she meets, and falls in love with, restaurateur Antonio who it turns out has a shady past. A past that threatens their love and Elizabeth's life causes her to return to the states with a secret. As love is tested and survival - both literally and emotionally - are key, the question is what will they do and will they find their way back to each other?"
- Seattle Book Review

I''ll Be Looking at the Moon received an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781463604615
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	07/09/2016
Pages:	434
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.88(d)

Editorial Reviews

2016-11-10
A woman seeks to put her troubled childhood behind her in Barrett's debut novel. Elizabeth Parker Morgan is born into a family of great privilege and great sorrow. Her mother, unable to overcome her own childhood traumas, has become an ill, unstable recluse; her father is an often absent, cruel man who inherits the unwanted burden of a successful family business. Elizabeth escapes to boarding school, college, and, ultimately, a life abroad in France. In the beauty and light of Lyon, she lives out her own fairy tale. Her job is challenging but fulfilling, and she soon becomes indispensable to her company. Thanks to her employer and benefactor, she settles into a beautiful, furnished apartment of her own. As is the case in all fairy tales, Elizabeth falls head over heels for a handsome man, yet she also discovers that the path of true love isn't easy. Antonio Ponti has a dark past, and his old ties to gamblers haunt his personal and professional lives. The lovers are torn apart by a threat of violence, and Elizabeth flees back to the United States, brokenhearted and pregnant. However, she's buoyed by the love of her friends and her brother and determined to make a good life for her child. Despite the shadows that surround her, Elizabeth learns the value of unconditional love and finds herself questioning whether a future with Antonio is still possible. Barrett's novel is a light but worthwhile read. She's a highly descriptive writer who paints lovely pictures of cobblestoned streets, sun-dazzled plazas, and intimate cafes. Although her narrative of star-crossed lovers isn't unique, it does have an unusual twist: in a pleasant departure from the traditional fairy-tale trajectory, Barrett's heroine relies on her own determination and creates her own successes rather than waiting to be rescued by a man. It's a welcome contrast to the sexist, demeaning attitudes that defined Elizabeth's childhood and a satisfying victory for a protagonist who broke a cycle of abuse and unhappiness. A sweet story of strength and second chances.

Kirkus Reviews