Moonglow

Moonglow is described by its publisher as “an autobiography wrapped in a novel disguised as a memoir,” and more candidly by the author in the postscript as “a pack of lies.” The novel/memoir follows the significant moments in the life of Michael Chabon’s semi-fictitious grandfather, chronicling his exploits in World War II, a stint in prison, his involvement with the U.S. space program and, perhaps most important to the author himself, the often turbulent relationship between an accomplished but ill-tempered man and his mentally unstable wife and its effects on their family down the generations. It’s an open question whether the decision to mix fiction with nonfiction was to allow for dramatic exaggeration or to disguise painful truths hidden among the lies—Chabon’s father receives a particularly unsympathetic characterization—but the author’s smooth prose and believable characterizations make it a moot point. Whether it’s partial or pure fiction, it’s still a compelling read.