A tale of tragedy and self-discovery, Harvest Moon, the fourth book in the By the Light of the Moon series by Jenny Knipfer, takes the reader on a journey through the life and decisions of Maang-ikwe, an Ojibwe woman living during the 19th century. As a young girl, Maang-ikwe is forced to attend a Jesuit school, a way for white men to maintain some control over the native populations. There, she meets a young incumbent priest, Ignacio. The pair decides to run away together, but they are thwarted, and the unthinkable happens to Maang-ikwe as she seeks comfort from another man she thought was a friend. Paralleled with her son, Niin-mawin, the subsequent years take both on a journey to forgiveness and understanding, but also roots in Maang-ikwe the deep desire not to forsake her people’s ways.

This was certainly an interesting piece of historical fiction. I find novels written around this time period very interesting because it shows literally how white men wanted to wipe out the culture of an entire people through the use of residential schools and cruel methods against Native American children. I can see why Maang-ikwe struggled with her beliefs throughout and wanted to keep the Ojibwe way of life alive for future generations. Her son’s experiences were equally as heart-breaking as her own. I appreciated the satisfying ending of this novel, and I won’t say too much about that, but it works so well for the story. Harvest Moon by Jenny Knipfer explores so much about a past I’m sure many would like to forget, but it’s important that we remember what was done to the Native American people.

Harvest Moon is the fourth book in the By the Light of the Moon series by Jenny Knipfer. Niin-mawin never felt part of the “white man’s” world. He was taught at a “white school,” he was raised away from his family and he had no idea what his past entailed. However, when he was made aware of a shocking secret of his past, he could not help but search for answers. Maan-ikwe’s biggest mistake was to fall in love. After that, she lost her honor, the love of her father, and her place in her tribe. There was no end to her misery. What was she supposed to do when she had no reason to live? Both of them were looking for consolation, yet they had no idea that their hardships were going to present them with the best life lessons they could ever imagine.

I remember reading Silver Moon and being blown away by the author’s way of telling a masterfully intricate story. Nothing has changed in Harvest Moon. I loved that each of the characters had their own story to tell and Jenny Knipfer gave them enough page space to make sure they got ample opportunities to do so. Niin-mawin’s story and his development were very relatable. I could not help but be lost in his progress, his struggles, and his determination to find the person he was looking for. Maang-ikwe’s story, on the other hand, left me wanting more and asking questions. I wanted to know why she gave up, why she didn’t fight for what she wanted, and how could she live with the life she had. The author created the perfect atmosphere for her story to truly bloom and progress. The pace was fast, the descriptions were on point and her development was incredible. There wasn’t a single thing that was out of place or didn’t make sense. I would highly recommend this historical fiction novel to anyone who loves reading stories with intricate plots and powerful characters.