Footprints in the Moon Blog Tour

Footprints on the Moon by Lorraine Marwood
Published by  UQP on Feb 2nd 2021
Source: Publisher provided for review
Genres: #LoveOZYA Verse Novel
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Humans are about to leave footprints on the moon, but what sort of mark can one girl make here on earth?

It’s 1969 and life is changing fast. Sharnie Burley is starting high school and finding it tough to make new friends. As the world waits to see if humans will land on the moon, the Vietnam War rages overseas. While her little cousin, Lewis, makes pretend moon boots, young men are being called up to fight, sometimes without having any choice in the matter. Sometimes without ever coming home.

Dad thinks serving your country in a war is honourable, but when Sharnie’s older sister, Cas, meets a returned soldier and starts getting involved in anti-war protests, a rift in their family begins to show. Sharnie would usually turn to her grandma for support, but lately Gran’s been forgetting things.

Can she find her own way in this brave new world?

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Marwood captures the mood perfectly in this coming of age verse novel. Cas and Sharine are sisters who are navigating the late 60’s and the issues they raised. Sharine is the bright eye high schooler who is still trying to find her place in the world. It’s tough when you are the bottom of the high school and Cas is off in her own world with her secrets. Sharine is at the crucical impressible age and is trying to figure out herself and finds herself at a crossroad.

Told beautifully in verse, this book should be read in one sitting as the story that unfolds is powerful. Sharine is the right person to be in the crossroads of the world around her. Her parents are not absent but are not aware of the lives the girls are undertaking. Her Grandmother is her source of inspiration but she is facing the fact that she may lose her. Sharine ‘s problems keep seem to piling up but there is a source of joy the upcoming walk on the moon .

As time pasts , Marwood capture the change in mood perfectly. Gone is the roes tinted glasses. Sharine is more then ever aware of the ways the moon landing and war are affecting people. Whilst they seem so far apart. Marwood uses the girls to cleverly bring them together and highlight how they both changed the world in the same year despite being two vastly different moments in history. Whilst this supposed to be Sharine ‘s story. Cas is also very much part of the story and offers an older more radical view of things. It’s the right balance and perfect for readers on the cusp of YA.