fragile boundary between the living and the dead. Rooted in the landscapes and histories of the American South, his writing blends the gothic tradition with elements of magical realism to illuminate the forces that shape who we become.
Gwaltney applied the Page 69 Test to Sing Down the Moon and shared the following:
On page 69 a heated confrontation unfolds as Avery, wracked with guilt, suggests he may be a murderer, while others try to deny or soften the accusation. Blame shifts among the group—especially between Avery and Rebecca—over past harm, including Leontyne’s injury. As tensions peak, Blue Heron offers a symbolic truce, and Rebecca urges unity, warning that survival depends on working together despite their shared guilt and fractured trust.Visit Robert Gwaltney's website.
Page 69 is a fairly good—though not perfect—introduction to Sing Down the Moon.
It drops the reader into the middle of conflict without context, so a browser won’t fully understand the relationships or the history that led to that moment. But in terms of tone, language, and emotional stakes, it’s remarkably true to the book. The lyrical voice, the undercurrent of violence, the blurred lines between guilt and innocence, and the sense that beauty and damage coexist—all of that is present on this page.
So while the Page 69 Test won’t explain the novel, it does represent it. A reader who is intrigued by that page will likely be at home in the world of the book.
Sing Down the Moon is Southern Gothic tale of generational trauma, exploring inheritance, addiction, identity. It’s a story about the legacies we carry, the ghosts we inherit, and the costs of breaking free.
The story is told from the perspective of sixteen-year-old Leontyne Skye, who is bound by blood and legacy to Damascus, an ancient fig tree that grows on the Georgia island of Good Hope, a tree that feeds the dead and poisons the living. As her mother disintegrates before her very eyes Leontyne must confront a birthright that will take everything from her as it has her mother—teeth, hair, and bone. Leontyne has already lost parts of herself—a hand, and her memory, in a happening two years prior known as Tribulation Day. When a mysterious stranger arrives on Good Hope, Leontyne’s memories slowly resurface, and with those memories, the discovery of a chilling truth. Rejecting her legacy will shatter the fragile balance between the living and the dead forcing Leontyne to choose: save the island and those she loves, or save herself.
--Marshal Zeringue
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