The Girl Who Chased the Moon

The Girl Who Chased the Moon is a magical realism novel by Sarah Addison Allen. Published in 2010, the novel is set in an enchanting Southern town where two women are trying to work out their place in the world. The novel is very popular and was nominated for numerous awards. Allen is a prolific writer who’s fond of magical realism, romance, and contemporary fantasy. She’s an international bestselling author who lives in Carolina and brings this setting to life through her books. Her debut, Garden Spells, was a New York Times bestseller.

The first character we meet is Emily Benedict. She’s only seventeen, and her mother recently died. She moves to Mullaby because her mother, Dulcie, grew up there. She’s going to live with her grandfather, staying in her mother’s old bedroom, because there’s no one else to look after her. This is a huge change for Emily because it means a new school and making new friends. She has no idea how she’ll fit in, and she’s going through enough grief as it is.

When she gets to Mullaby, things only get worse. The townsfolk are always whispering about Dulcie because she left town suddenly without telling anyone, and she didn’t bother returning. Emily knows she needs to understand her mother’s secrets if she wants to change the town’s prejudices against her whole family—including her grandfather, a very gentle and isolated soul portrayed as a “gentle giant.”



Our other heroine is Julia Winterson. She’s in her mid-thirties and makes wonderful cakes. When she moves to Mullaby, the whole town falls in love with her baking. She’s been left her father’s business; she’s tying up his affairs and plans to sell the business so she can move on with the rest of her life. She only expects to stay in Mullaby for a year or two—and she doesn’t want any reminders of her troubled past.

Unlike Emily, Julia lived in Mullaby before and many of the residents still remember her. Julia didn’t have an easy childhood or adolescence. The narrative flashes back to her memories. She’s a social outcast and a loner in school. One day, she manages to attract the affections of Sawyer, the hottest boy in school. They have a one-night stand, and she ends up pregnant. Although Julia left Mullaby, she doesn’t know how she feels about Sawyer, and she doesn’t want to see him again.

Meanwhile, Emily meets Win Coffey. He’s very sweet and a good influence on her. However, his family couldn’t stand her mother and don’t want Win going out with her. Despite his parents’ wishes, Win still tries to see Emily. Win and his whole family have a genetic condition which means they can’t go out at night, making it even harder for the pair to secretly see each other. However, they find their ways, and Win often sneaks into Emily’s room.



Julia meets Emily when she goes into the local BBQ joint, which Julia owns. The two of them strike up a friendship. Emily loves trying her desserts. Sawyer might be interested in Julia again, but it’s hard to tell at first. It’s obvious to Emily that Julia loves Sawyer, but Julia won’t admit it. Emily hopes they’ll get over whatever happened in the past so they can have a relationship; she can tell there’s a lot unsaid between them.

There’s a sense that both these women are looking for something that is always just beyond their reach and they won’t stop until they catch it. Both are looking for answers and love, which seem unattainable at times. Emily hopes that Julia can shed some light on why everyone has a problem with her mother. Julia, however, doesn’t have any answers. All Emily has is initials, which are carved all over the town and resemble symbols on her mother’s jewelry collection.

Win is the only person who seems to want to help her, and together, they try to unearth the truth. What they discover is traumatic. One of the Coffey’s, Logan, killed himself many years ago. Everyone blamed Dulcie for it, and she fled town so that she didn’t have to deal with anyone. Julia doesn’t tell Emily any of this because she wants Emily to find out the truth for herself. Julia sympathizes with Dulcie, too.



Although both Win and Emily must confront their feelings and this horrible family conflict, they decide they love each other too much to let this end their relationship. Their romance brings both families together again.

Meanwhile, Sawyer tells Julia she’s the only one who ever saw him for who he truly is. They admit they still have feelings for each other and begin a relationship. Julia’s not leaving Mullaby, after all.