The Fireweed Moon: Moon Trilogy, Book 3 Barbara J. Dzikowski’s The Fireweed Moon is the captivating third and final addition to the Moon trilogy, bringing the family saga full circle as characters search for truth and redemption.
A passionate woman struggling with her New York City art career, Willow Trudeau decides to return to the small town of Weeping Willow, Ohio, where her father, Leon Ziemny, still resides. Upon arrival, Willow is surprised to find that her father has a houseguest who seems to have a connection to her late grandmother. This likeable stranger is hoping to find an heirloom family Bible that’s been missing since his pastor brother was brutally murdered, decades earlier.
Joining his efforts, Willow begins a journey that reveals private disclosures and stirs up volatile emotions in a town with a nearby megachurch run by a smarmy con man who incites fear in his congregation. In an atmosphere of historic and modern-day racial strife, a shocking tragedy forces Willow and her extended family to rely on the saving grace of love to move forward.
With enlightening detail, Dzikowski introduces vivid characters from the past and present. From the Trudeau and Ziemny family members to town physicians, funeral directors, a waitress with an eye for Leon, and a smart detective with whom Willow had a prior relationship, each is an integral part of the larger puzzle.
To jump between time periods, Dzikowski skillfully uses a packet of letters that Willow uncovers of earlier correspondence between her grandmother, Lily, and Lily’s sister, Clarry. Readers learn of the controlling husband who sent Lily to a sanitarium, how Lily’s feelings of self-worth seemed limited to her beauty, and the high price to be paid for a forbidden, clandestine relationship.
Well-crafted and rich in character, this emotional storyline weaves history, mystery, and tragedy to reveal a final portrait of strong family bonds and universal love. For those drawn to family sagas, the entire Moon trilogy will prove an enjoyable experience.
Also available as an ebook.
