AKiCiF: Name that Book

[rolanni]

Thinking about old books yesterday reminded me of another novel that I read over and over -- not because I liked it, particularly, but because of the touching belief that, if I read it often enough, it would make sense. Possibly, this never actually happened.

I was, until a few moments ago, abiding under the pleasant misconception that the title of the book was Moonraker. However, this appears to be the title of a James Bond novel, and not at all what I'm looking for. Then I thought perhaps it was Moon Tide, but that's not a winner either.

So! The cover of the book was a large full moon framed by forbidding looking cliffs, and in the foreground two small figures along the edge of a dark sea.

As nearly as I can recall, the hero of the story lived on Moon Something Bay or Something Moon Bay. The defining feature of this piece of water was terrible treacherous currents. How treacherous and terrible, you ask? The entire village lived quite well from the salvage brought ashore from ships that were broken on the rocks of those cliffs out there. When the bodies washed up, they were decently buried, and life in the village went on until the next shipwreck.

I believe what happens very quickly after this pastoral mode of life is established for the reader is that a body washes up that isn't quite yet a corpse and against the better judgment of the Many, this sailor is nursed back to health. Whereupon all of Our Narrator's troubles begin.

He is eventually taken up by a ship that ventures into Moon Something Bay without incident, and he is forced into a life of piracy. Or smuggling. Or accounting. Or -- something. At the end of the book -- spoilers! -- the good ship is caught in a storm, and breaks up on the rocks of those cliffs out there, and Our Narrator (and his companion?) become(s) the second (and third?) man/men to arrive on the shores of Moon Something Bay, alive, from a shipwreck.

Ring any bells?

Edited to add: The Incomparable malkingrey has the answer: Moonfleet by J. Meade Falkner

Comments

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

Try "Mooncuser" or something akin to that. Disney made a movie out of it. Title comes from the salvage people blowing out the light in the light house so the ships would sail too close to those treacherous rocks and run aground, leaving their cargo open to salvage. They cussed the moon because it showed the treacherous shoals.

The movie made more sense than the book.

Mooncusser

[kalilama.livejournal.com]

There was a Mooncusser Coffeehouse on Martha's Vineyard. I saw Jose Feliciano there in 1964...I was a kid standing outside watching through a knothole in the wall. Never knew where that name "Mooncusser" came from. Thanks!

Re: Mooncusser

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

I saw the movie as a small child when we lived in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. There was some discussion that the author had based his mythical town there. Made it doubly interesting to me.

Remember Hayley Mills?

[star-horse3.livejournal.com]

The Disney movie was "The Moon-Spinners" loosely based on a book of the same name by Mary Stewart. Different book than the "Mooncussers" or the book Sharon describes. Though if you'd read Mary Stewart's book first, you might not say the movie made more sense than the book. However, you are probably thinking of a different movie.

Re: Remember Hayley Mills?

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

Moon Spinners took place in Greece and involved diving for ancient artifacts and fold tales "spun" by old women.

Mooncussers was different, took place on the coast of Maine, and probably only shown on TV not released to theaters.

And yes the Mary Stewart book did make more sense than the movie.