Considering the moon phases over the course of the year is something I had never consciously done before. Every now and again I will be stopped in my tracks by a full moon, crisply white against the night sky, sometimes so big it inspires awe before I quickly get on with what it was I was doing. I hadn’t thought to look for it, to decide to make time for it, to recognise it in a world that is so busy. It remains a constant in a world filled with uncertainty. This idea is a running motif throughout Caro Giles’ memoir ‘Twelve Moons’, a poignant and evocative reflection on the life of the writer who lives with her four daughters who are lovingly nicknamed to match the personalities and idiosyncrasies of each: The Mermaid, The Whirlwind, The Caulbearer and The Littlest One.
Giles examines and processes how the course of her life’s events have led to her current situation: ‘how I have ended up on my own in the Northern most corner of England with four little girls, when I spent my childhood dreaming of bright lights and centre stage?’ Despite articulating trepidation and uncertainty and doubt, her bravery and tenacity shine from the page as does her deep love for her children. The trauma of navigating a separation as well as school systems unable to meet her children’s needs felt overwhelming and her honesty with regards to how this impacted her sense of self was something that was identifiable, ‘How can my story be excavated from the mine of my life when so much is devoted to others?’
Not only is the sense of individual loss explored but the writer foregrounds a lot of the stigmas associated with raising children who are deemed not to ‘fit’ into mainstream schooling. It felt that the issue centred back to motherhood specifically and how a mother choses to raise her children as being the direct cause of school attendance and thriving in a mainstream setting. A passage in which the author describes having to de-register one of her children from school by the age of six was particularly emotive and hard-hitting. How the writer was told she was responsible for making her child anxious ‘some kind of Munchhausen-by-proxy imitation designed to induce fear and confusion. A special type of gaslighting that conveniently conceals the reality.’ This line initially made me feel all the anger I had experienced with education systems but also a sense of it being a uniquely female burden of blame. Having to battle systems not adequately equipped with knowledge, finances and sometimes just basic empathy felt all too familiar. Very often home schooling can be one the very few options available to parents finding themselves in this situation and as Giles highlights for all its potential joys, it can be all consuming and immersive. Very often feelings of isolation can take rise, resulting in a loss of self.
This balance between motherhood and desiring individual freedom is something returned to throughout the text. The question of how can we do or be both is a powerful one. The answer is elusive, but part of it seems to be attached in the solace of the landscape, the wilderness of the Northumberland coast where the writer lives and, of course, the moon. The familiar certainty of its stages helped provide a certainty and reassurance in contrast to the unpredictability of life. It is, figuratively and literally, a light in the dark. Descriptions of the natural world permeate the novel, charting the ebbs and flows of the family’s life across a whole year. They are beautifully drawn and highlight the necessity of place in allowing fullness of life to take place whilst providing restoration for all the protagonists. It is here they can be truly themselves; the book felt just as much a love letter to the natural landscape as it did to her daughters.
Overall the novel felt to be a contemplation of motherhood and the fierce love between a mother and her daughters. I was in awe of Caro Giles and all that she does. Nurturing and providing whilst trying to preserve a tiny piece of space and time to write and be. Their tribe is a force that is at once fragile, but also characterised by strength and togetherness. A beautiful, honest and raw text. One that I will return to again and again.

Twelve moons
Four children and a brilliant Mother

Four beautiful daughters all very different characters, all unique and gifted. The oldest child the mermaid suffers with her mental health and anxiety, this effects her physically and she is unable to attend school, she is happiest swimming in the sea. The other three have their strengths and their difficulties.
The moon is important to the whole family, in a way the Mother, who is never named is similar to the moon as the girls are in her orbit.
The story takes place against a background of covid, lockdown, home schooling, domestic abuse in the headlines. Whilst lockdown was tough on everyone to a single mother with no immediate help, it was almost impossible.
Mother struggles with her own mental health, illness and unresponsive social care agencies. She just wants to be a good Mum and she undoubtedly is, juggling, anticipating and catering for her daughters.

So sad in places, so frustrating, but nevertheless a brilliant and eye opening read.
Thank you Netgalley and Caro

I took my time reading this book and did not regret it. It’s definitely a book filled with knowledge and purpose. The book and content are bite-sized but this is a book that you can re-read and come back to over and over again depending on the situation you are facing in life.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

This beautifully written book captures both the natural beauty and the incredible journey of a single mother and her four daughters. Giles and her clan of five spend an entire year between the untamed sea and the shifting moonlight of the Northumberland skies.

Giles conveys her feelings and challenges as a single mother with poetic intensity, resulting in a narrative that is compelling and powerful. The chapters are cleverly ordered by the phases of the moon, and each month offers Giles a new set of trials and transformations. She writes about her unconventional parenting, relocation from the city, breakup, and relationship with her four daughters. Giles's writing is straightforward and unfiltered, and she does not shy away from the challenges she experiences.

The book is an unflinching examination of the strength of nature and the value of family. In her writing, Giles's affection for her daughters and the Northumberland scenery is evident. The wording is poetic and evocative, and the sky, sea, and environment are vividly described. Her tale is both motivating and encouraging, and her writing is heartfelt and empowering.

This is a beautifully written memoir, following a woman's timeline through the moon cycles as she come to terms with her family's changing dynamic, how the she copes with varying aspects of her children's needs, her own needs and re-discovering herself and her freedom.

I found this book poignant and refreshing in it's honesty and frankness.
The cycle of the same routines we all go through, even when big things change, we still carry on doing the same daily things with the same people.
I loved that the Full Moon each month was a focal point. How important it was to find that familiar glow, sometimes in amongst deep cloud, sometimes a bright summer night sky...it was a constant in an ever changing and evolving world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The presentation of the book is absolutely stunning, both the cover artwork and title are beautiful. This memoir of Caro Giles is written in such a tone that you can't help but fall in love with her family, the moon and the landscapes of Northumberland. The author writes endearingly about the most heart-breaking times for her and her family.
All of this covers the time of global crisis during the pandemic. She evokes the lives of her 4 amazing daughters, The Mermaid, The Whirlwind, The Caulbearer and The Littlest One with honesty, compassion and clarity. In fact the calm and chaos of their lives mirror the ebb and flow of the tides and the lunar cycle beautifully. The nature descriptions of landscape, sea and sky are breathtakingly realistic.
I found this memoir very relatable, moving, poignant and ultimately, quite uplifting.