Review: Signal Moon by Kate Quinn

Posted February 20, 2023 by Stephanie in 5 Stars, Historical Fiction, Review / 12 Comments

Title: Signal Moon
Author: Kate Quinn
Publication: August 1, 2022 by Amazon Original Stories
Genre: Historical Fiction
Find it on: Amazon
Rating: 5/5★

A short story about an impossible connection across two centuries that could make the difference between peace or war.

Yorkshire, 1943. Lily Baines, a bright young debutante increasingly ground down by an endless war, has traded in her white gloves for a set of headphones. It’s her job to intercept enemy naval communications and send them to Bletchley Park for decryption.

One night, she picks up a transmission that isn’t code at all—it’s a cry for help.

An American ship is taking heavy fire in the North Atlantic—but no one else has reported an attack, and the information relayed by the young US officer, Matt Jackson, seems all wrong. The contact that Lily has made on the other end of the radio channel says it’s… 2023.

Across an eighty-year gap, Lily and Matt must find a way to help each other: Matt to convince her that the war she’s fighting can still be won, and Lily to help him stave off the war to come. As their connection grows stronger, they both know there’s no telling when time will run out on their inexplicable link.

 

Only Kate Quinn could have me in tears over a 57 page short story and that’s why she continues to be my favorite historical fiction author. I would give Signal Moon all the stars if I could but I’ll settle on a 5/5. It was actual perfection!

The story starts in 1943 Yorkshire and World War 2 has been going on for three years now. Lily Baines, former debutante, is now working as a tech to intercept enemy communications from the Germans. One night when she was working she picks up a strange transmission. It’s no code and the voice she hears is an American one; Matt Jackson from the US Navy. As she continues to listen she realizes the ship the American is currently on is in trouble and sinking. But even stranger than that is the date she hears coming from the transmission… 2023. Lily doesn’t know how it’s possible but sets everything in motion to save the American in the future.

I can’t express how much I loved this short story. I should’ve known since it’s one by Kate Quinn. She’s just so good at what she does and has never once failed in my opinion. I really enjoyed reading about Lily and Matt even when they only could have contact over radio transmitions. Extremely well-written doesn’t even begin to cover it. I don’t know why but the end felt so emotional to me, I had a hard time containing my tears. I’m sure that everyone would have a hard time not getting choked up at that ending.

Signal Moon by Kate Quinn was a brilliant piece of WWII fiction with a dash of speculative fiction thrown into the mix that I would highly recommend to everyone. Seriously, go read it now!

 

 

About the author:

Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network”, “The Huntress,” “The Rose Code,” and “The Diamond Eye.” All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in San Diego with three rescue dogs.

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12 responses to “Review: Signal Moon by Kate Quinn

  1. verushka

    Okay, my interest is piqued — this sounds like a whole novel in this premise and not just a short story. I’m very very curious about this now

  2. It seems like I’ve heard good things about this before… and ooh a little speculative fiction with that 2023 transmission. Love the sound of this!

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