American Moon

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.

David W. Berner is the author of The Islander, winner of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors Award for Literary Fiction and the novel A Well-Respected Man, honored by the Society of Midland Authors. He is also the author of the award-winning memoirs Accidental Lessons and Daylight Saving Time and has been honored as the Writer-in-Residence at the Jack Kerouac Project and the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home and Museum.