2024 Great Southeast Book Festival Best in General Fiction Runner-Up
“A richly textured charmer about a Jim Crow–era Virginia brothel and its resourceful owner… readers will quickly become immersed in its subtle magic.”
The story of The Bells of Moses Henry continues, as eighteen year old Willie Graves inherits his mother’s bordello, searches for his friend Stick Watson, while navigating the larger truths of prejudice, justice, and love. From Virginia's time-honored University, Piedmont, and Tangier Island, down the darkened highways of Mississippi, Louisiana, to the Gulf of Mexico, Full Beaver Moon is a remarkable ride.
“Luminous. A wonderful story of ordinary people. I couldn’t put this book down.”
“FULL BEAVER MOON is a captivating, challenging, and ultimately rewarding slice of historical fiction dripping with lyrical prose and Southern-tinged atmosphere. ”
“This engrossing story is sweeping in its breath and detail. The sounds, the smells, the sights, and the sweat are palpable on every page. It’s a story that you don’t want to end, but you can’t wait to discover what comes next. A story you’ll want to revisit again and again.”
“Peter Skinner sure knows how to set the stage for an irresistible tale of good, not so good, and real bad, held together by a fragile ceasefire. The inhabitants of Full Beaver Moon are so richly drawn that you can smell them, each one. The tobacco they smoke, the perfume they wear, and oh my, my, the pies they bake.
But it’s when those characters get talking, that is where Skinner creates the rhythm and the melody of their lives. There is not a false note in his dialogue. The reader is brought in so close that it’s tempting to join in, but we stay silent, out of respect. These characters are so full of humanity, so saturated with deep love and faith, that you can’t look away until long after the last page.”
“Challenging to describe this lovely book. Insightful, descriptive. I loved it.”
“This book had my heart wrenching so many times.”
“A well-crafted, suspenseful plot and mastery of the vernacular.”
“It is riveting from the title to the first line and every line after. Hooks you visually and viscerally.”
“Genuinely think it’s wonderful. Good story, great characters, love the dialogue!”
“A beautiful trip through a world I only know from books.”
“Spellbinding.”
“Set in 1950s and the Deep South, Full Beaver Moon was not a book that I would normally pick up, but I am so glad I did. Skinner has written an engaging story that shows people at their best and their worst. It is highly recommended.”
“Peter Skinner has done an excellent job portraying how hard life can be when you don’t fit in.”
“4.5 STARS. I really liked this and it was the first time I’d read anything from this author... I’ll definitely be looking for more from him. A very good read.”
“5 STARS. It had everything that I was looking for. Peter Skinner wrote great characters and a great plot.”
“I really enjoyed this book. Some quirky characters, social commentary, and a well-paced plot kept me reading straight through in one setting. I found the book entrancing. Strongly recommended.”
“Once I started reading FULL BEAVER MOON I found it hard to put down.”
