The Valley of the Moon

The Valley of the Moon Synopsis

The Valley of the Moon (1913) is a novel by American writer Jack London. Inspired by his experiences as a working-class man and dedicated socialist, London incorporates aspects of his own biography—his interest in sailing, his life on a ranch in Sonoma County—to tell a story of hardship, hope, and perseverance. Having grown disillusioned with the labor movement, London uses the novel to advocate for sustainable agriculture and other alternatives to industry, urban life, and modernization. A former professional boxer, Billy works as a Teamster in Oakland, where strikes and demonstrations for the labor movement often turn violent. Soon after his marriage to Saxon, a young laundry worker, Billy is arrested for assaulting a strikebreaker, the stress of which contributes to his wife’s miscarriage. When he is released from jail, Saxon convinces him to reject the labor movement, and the two embark on a journey north to look for work and a new life away from the city. On the way, they meet immigrant farmers who instruct them in the ways of sustainable farming, briefly join an artists’ colony, and befriend a young journalist and his wife. After winning a substantial amount of money in a boxing match, Billy purchases a team of horses and envisions a life of prosperity and safety with which to start a family. The Valley of the Moon, though relatively unsuccessful at the time of its publication, is a meditative work that illuminates the disparities of the American Dream and provides alternatives without succumbing to despair. In its pages, we see the prototype for such authors as John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac, visionaries and restless souls who refused to accept that life was impossible to change. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London’s The Valley of the Moon is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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