American Moon

Winner of the Fugere Book Prize for Finely Crafted Novellas.

Austen, broken by a turbulent past, sets out on a cross-country journey to California, seeking the faint promise of a new beginning. But early on, he encounters a troubling scene— a baby left alone in a rundown roadside motel in a small Missouri town. The child’ s mother, Taylor, is on her own desperate journey, battling addiction and the crushing weight of poverty in a town gripped by the opioid crisis. In a fragile attempt at redemption, Austen and Taylor forge an unlikely companionship. Together, they navigate the ruins of their lives, seeking hope, healing, and a chance to reclaim what remains of the American Dream. American Moon is a haunting, tender exploration of survival, connection, and the resilience of the human spirit.