Balsamic Moon
Before Hurricane Katrina, neighbors Doreen Williams, an African American single mother, and Richard Girard, a reclusive gay man, were aloof and even suspicious of each other. But when the levees in New Orleans burst, these two are sent scrambling into a cramped attic where, together, they face tests of grueling heat, dwindling supplies, worries about loved ones, and the struggle to keep living.
In his novel, Balsamic Moon, author Alan Gartenhaus explores the journeys and losses that survivors endure, the courage and persistence required to come through them, and the truth that, when our very survival depends on the formation of ties across differences, our compassion for one another is what makes us feel safe and whole.
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Reviews
Reviewed by Essien Asian
As a hurricane approaches the city, government agencies plead with the residents to evacuate their homes and head to the safety of higher ground. Most residents obey this directive but a minority choose to stay put and wait it out. Among this minority are Doreen, a single mother and teacher who is awaiting the return of her son Curtis, and her neighbor Richard Girard, a grumpy individual who refuses to interact with his neighbors, preferring instead to spend his free time staring intently at the children in the neighborhood. As the storm gets worse, they both realize they may have miscalculated their chances of survival and their only hope depends on whether they can work together. Interesting things happen when people have their backs to the wall as readers will discover in Balsamic Moon by Alan Gartenhaus.
Emotions run high in this drama loosely based on the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina. Alan Gartenhaus develops his story quite well, alternating between moments of high suspense and calm periods of introspection to weave a plot that tells two starkly different stories as one. His principal characters are beautifully described, leaving nothing to conjecture. It is quite intriguing to discover Richard’s reasons for his self-imposed isolation. There are so many revelations in the novel it is difficult to believe the bulk of the story takes place in an attic. The description of the events fits so perfectly with some of the personal accounts from that tragic incident to the point that I found it hard to believe that this is a work of fiction. Balsamic Moon is an emotional rollercoaster and an excellent example of quality storytelling.
In Balsamic Moon by Alan Gartenhaus, a sudden flood compels neighbors to struggle for survival. Faced with the impending danger and the imminent threat to life, will two neighbors who have been indifferent to each other work together for a solution? Doreen Williams is an Afro-American single mother whose relationship with her neighbor, Richard Girard, a gay man who keeps to himself, has been nothing but cordial. That is until Hurricane Katrina hits and they find themselves in the attic as the water rises below. Heat, scarce supplies, and fear for those they love are a few of the things that worry them. Can they pull through the ordeal together?
This historical novel gives readers an idea of what it feels like to be trapped in a hurricane. The exploration of the relationship between Richard and Doreen is impeccably accomplished. They are just mere neighbors, and even if Doreen has thought about bringing food to Richard, the loner, from time to time, they are not close. Just neighbors. The flood opens a new door for them to experience what is most essential in humanity and as they live through each grueling moment, inner worlds open and they discover the beauty of each other. Richard has been a loner for a long time; he has suffered loss, and he prefers to be alone. These characters are elaborately written and believable. A novel that will lift your spirit, fill you with the warmth of humanity and keep you rooting for the two key characters. I couldn’t put this down. Balsamic Moon is one of the stories you read and pass down.
Reviewed by Joelene Pynnonen
It’s nearing the end of August, and New Orleans is gearing up for a storm. Off the Gulf Coast, Katrina has grown into a Category Five hurricane, the highest and most dangerous level. While many residents pack up and leave to avoid the impending catastrophe, others stay behind.
Doreen Williams is used to wild weather. This storm, she figures, won’t be any worse than the ones that have come before. It might teeter off and miss New Orleans altogether.Her house is on high ground, and she doesn’t have the money to spend on hotels every time a storm blows up.
Her neighbor, Richard Girard, doesn’t want to leave his house either. He’s clung to it since his mother died, rarely setting foot outside even in ordinary circumstances. The thought of losing it and his cherished belongings keeps him from evacuating.
Although they’ve been neighbors since Doreen moved into the street years ago, Richard and Doreen have barely exchanged a handful of words. Doreen has a busy-enough life and Richard has always been known as the neighborhood oddball and regarded with suspicion. As the storm rips through their carefully ordered lives, though, it becomes clear
that they’re going to have to rely on each other if they have a hope of surviving.
Most disaster novels I’ve read follow similar conventions to disaster movies: more action than reality. Balsamic Moon breaks that mold. It’s a thoughtful, nuanced, and authentic exploration of the occurrence and direct aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. The long days of waiting, the stifling anxiety about whether they’ll be rescued, and the dwindling of already meager rations are all drawn with stark clarity. Something about the way Balsamic Moon is written pulls readers smoothly across its pages. It’s easy to empathize with the characters through the struggle for survival. The heat of the long days is palpable, the stench of the floodwater equally so.
While Balsamic Moon uses Hurricane Katrina as a vehicle for its story, the story isn’t really about the storm. There are so many different things that this novel explores, but, at its heart, I think it is about the people that society accepts and the people it rejects. As a gay man, Richard is used to being treated with distrust. Since becoming a recluse in the wake
of his mother’s death, his neighbors are more prone to be wary of him. As his backstory unravels, it becomes clear how wrong his neighbors are about him. Doreen, too, has experienced rejection through her life as a Black woman living in a predominantly white area. The interactions these characters have builds a multi-faceted view of privilege, isolation, friendship, and what it means to be part of a community.
Reading Balsamic Moon is somehow both wonderful and heartrending. I could easily have spent more time with these characters. There seems to be so much of both of them left unexplored. It feels fitting, though, that in the wake of this disaster things are left messy and incomplete. It leaves an air of disturbance around the novel. A feeling of disquiet that somehow mirrors the ultimate atmosphere of the book.
A national catastrophe sets the stage for Gartenhaus’ debut novel of friendship and survival.
In late August of an unnamed year, Doreen Williams is a single mother living in New Orleans; her 11-year-old son, Curtis, is away at summer sports camp near the Arkansas border. She’s excited about surprising Curtis with a new dog named Buddy upon his return in a few days. She also worries about her eccentric, opera-loving neighbor, Richard Girard, who keeps to himself and is getting noticeably skinny. What starts as a quaint domestic drama gains an effective sense of dread when a hurricane warning is issued, which Doreen ignores. The sense of foreboding grows when Doreen gets a spontaneous tarot reading, which warns her of impending misfortune that will only get worse. The real dramatic gut-punch, however, hits when the name of the hurricane is revealed: Katrina; readers are only too aware that the main characters aren’t remotely prepared for what’s coming, and the sinking feeling continues when Doreen and Richard steadfastly refuse to evacuate their homes. Just when it seems the hurricane—and the danger—has passed, Doreen and Richard are brought together as the levees break and the flood waters begin to rise. As it seems less and less likely that help will come, they share stories of their pasts that bring old resentments and joys to the surface. Overall, this is a sweeping tale that focuses on the deep emotional bonds that grow from heartache, as well as the failures people face from loved ones and from politicians. Ultimately, this novel serves as a tribute to New Orleans and the tenacious spirit of its residents.
A suspenseful story of natural disaster and human tragedy, as well as a beautifully nuanced study of togetherness and loss.
Reviewed by Dianne Woodman
Balsamic Moon by Alan Gartenhaus is a heart-rending and uplifting fictional story of two people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences who are caught up in the aftermath of the destruction left behind by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Doreen Williams and Richard Girard live in the same neighborhood but are not acquainted with each other until circumstances outside their control bring them together. Even though there is a mandatory evacuation mandate due to the severe weather threat of Hurricane Katrina, an enormous and powerful storm, Doreen and Richard decide not to evacuate their homes. After the worst of the storm seems to be over, the neighborhood is flooded. Richard rescues Doreen from her house, and the two of them, along with Doreen’s dog, take refuge in the attic of Richard’s house. However, they are facing a grave situation. Richard is suffering from injuries he incurred while trying to rescue a cat, and there is very little water or food. Will the two adults and the dog be rescued, or will Hurricane Katrina cost them their lives?
Gartenhaus does not shy away from portraying the extent of the tangible and intangible damage after Hurricane Katrina makes landfall. Readers are given in-depth perspectives into how two people cope with their decisions to ride out the storm and take their chances. The author’s creative use of sensory language immerses readers into the story. It allows them to visualize the devastation and see the different ways people react when they are suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into dealing with the fallout from a weather-related disaster that they are ill-equipped to handle. Readers gain an up-close and personal view into the physical and emotional toll it takes on the people who do not leave the neighborhood and hope to be rescued.
The story includes the development of an unlikely friendship between two people, the value of familial love, heartbreak, shared precious moments, and sacrifices. Readers are also shown how much of an indelible mark is left on people who experience a major life-changing event, coping mechanisms for dealing with devastating loss, and the inner strength called upon in the face of tremendous hardship.
Balsamic Moon is a story that will touch the hearts of those who read it. It shows the power of what people can endure when a natural disaster strikes and puts survival in jeopardy, as well as tangible personal property that has sentimental value and is closely linked to precious memories.
Quill says: A soul-stirring story of heartbreak, loss, and resilience in the face of dire circumstances.
Interviews
FQ: Why did you choose Hurricane Katrina making landfall in New Orleans, Louisiana, as the disastrous event in your story?
GARTENHAUS: New Orleans is a city of great texture and richness––cultural and racial diversity, renowned cuisines, unparalleled music, strategic history, and engaging residential architecture. As a former resident, an alumnus of Tulane University, and having been a staff member of the New Orleans Museum of Art, the devastation Katrina inflicted on the city and its people was neither remote nor merely a compelling curiosity. It was consequential and profoundly affecting. Writing was a way for me to process it.
FQ: Did you personally witness the damage incurred by Hurricane Katrina? If not, how did you come up with the true-to-life descriptions?
GARTENHAUS: I did see the damage and spoke with friends and former neighbors who experienced it. I returned to New Orleans several times, once shortly after the city was declared “dry,” while troops were still stationed there, downed trees and debris filled the streets, and much of the city’s electricity had not been restored. I got to see the devastation, and how very extensive it was, first-hand.
FQ: The two main characters, Doreen and Richard, come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Are they based on people you know, or did you create Doreen and Richard from your imagination?
GARTENHAUS: Doreen and Richard are imaginary; however, I drew inspiration from people I’d known. Both characters took on lives of their own as soon as the writing process began.
FQ: Do you have first-hand knowledge of the physical and emotional impact endured by people who elected to stay behind instead of following evacuation orders? If not, how did you come up with the characters’ backstories and personality traits?
GARTENHAUS: Days, and even hours, before Katrina made landfall, I was on the phone urging friends to leave. A very close friend who remained did not survive the storm and the flooding.
Although the characters and their backstories are fictitious, I interviewed a variety of folks who remained in the city when the storm and flooding hit and learned of their experiences, both physical and emotional. I also read the local newspaper’s excellent coverage of the storm’s approach and its aftermath.
FQ: How much of the story is a blending of the reality of events with your imagination?
GARTENHAUS: Nearly all of it. The events surrounding the storm and flooding are real and known. My imagination helped me understand and empathize with how these two characters might have experienced and felt about it.
FQ: Your use of sensory language brings the story to life for readers. Where did you get your inspiration for your creative use of sensory details?
GARTENHAUS: Thank you. I’m flattered that you thought so. Much of my professional career before writing fiction was spent working in museum education departments, where I developed programs challenging visitors to discover and learn using their five senses and, often, their intuition and imaginations. I wrote two non-fiction books, Minds in Motion and Questioning Art, which demonstrate ways to gather sensory information and bring inanimate objects “to life.”
FQ: Did you conduct research in the writing of this story, and if so, what methods did you use?
GARTENHAUS: I conducted personal interviews, dove into the archives of The Times-Picayune (the New Orleans local newspaper), and watched Spike Lee’s documentary, When the Levees Broke, innumerable times.
FQ: Who is the target audience for this heart-stopping story that shows the devastating effects a massive hurricane can have on the environment, personal property, and the physical and mental health of people?
GARTENHAUS: Hopefully, everyone is the target audience. Reaching across divides and caring about others should engage us all. Certainly, it is a lesson that disasters force us to learn repeatedly. Whether we’re taught by hurricanes, wars, fires, or earthquakes, surviving the unfathomable is compelling, and requires courage, determination, and compassion, behaviors worthy of reading about and exploring.
FQ: The title, Balsamic Moon, definitely catches a person’s attention. Would you explain to our readers where this title came from?
GARTENHAUS: My characters spent nights trapped in an attic by floodwaters. I was trying to determine how light or dark the night would be in a city that had completely lost power and read in an astrological reference that it corresponded to the appearance of a balsamic moon. When I read of a balsamic moon’s ominous portend, it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
FQ: Do you plan on writing more books about any catastrophic events and the subsequent repercussions or might your next project be something completely different?
GARTENHAUS: My next novel is different. I have written and had published a variety of short stories with various plots, a few of which can be found on my webpage (alangartenhaus.com). Although most of my writing focuses on human interaction and emotional connections, I’m not a genre writer, such as authors who pen mysteries or spy novels.
