The Moon Is Down

The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The U.S. government commissioned this work from Steinbeck as part of his contribution to the Allied war effort during WW-II. The resulting story paints a compelling picture of the human aspects of occupation in a real and palpable way. Reading this story, one becomes acquainted with both the victor and the conquered. In so doing, the reader finds that the captors are as human as the captives, and as they become part of a merged society together, we see that "It is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars." This story was translated into at least 8 languages during WW-II and copied and distributed throughout the underground resistance to the Nazi occupation of the nations in Europe. The message and inspiration of this story played a significant role in the lives of the occupied peoples of Europe. This is a moving and memorable story, and i'm looking forward to reading it again, to experience it again in a deeper way.

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