A review by sdibartola
Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts

2.0

I picked up “Shoot the Moon” by Billie Letts because the synopsis on the back cover of the book intrigued me and I was vaguely familiar with her novel, “Where the Heart is.” It’s a “whodunit” and a potent one that kept me reading until I finished the book in a couple of days – not my typical slow reading pace. The women in the novel like Teeve, Ivy, and the murdered girl Gaylene are very strongly drawn, appealing characters. The male characters are evil (O Boy Daniels, Arthur McFadden) or, in the case of Kyle Leander, a burned out relic of the hippy era. Even Mark Albright/Nicky Jack Harjo, the long lost son of Gaylene in search of his identity, comes off as insecure and stuck on himself. The gay lawyer Hap Duchamp and his ex-fireman culinary crazed partner Matthew are appealing exceptions. Letts’ technique of revealing the murdered girl’s personality through her diary entries of the late 1960’s was very effective. Having been a veterinarian for over 30 years, I have to say however that I was disappointed in the way Letts portrayed small animal practice. She apparently didn’t spend much time (if any) researching veterinary medicine. Even though Dr. Albright’s practice is in Beverly Hills, the types of cosmetic procedures he relates performing on rich clients' pets are simply ridiculous and not performed by any veterinarian I’ve ever known. For example, “scrotum tucks on aging dogs, breast reductions on cats that were allowed to deliver too many litters. I’ve performed a nose job on a poodle because the owner thought her precious ‘Pearl’ felt self-conscious about her appearance. I’ve done penile implants on animals more interested in sleep than breeding and eye jobs on Pekingese so they wouldn’t look so Asian.” Is this passage supposed to be a joke? Do veterinarians perform cosmetic procedures? Yes, things like tail docks and ear crops to satisfy breed standards are dubious procedures that are performed regularly, but none of the things Letts describes. Maybe I just over-reacted to what was meant to be a joke, but I found Letts’ portrayal of veterinary medicine offensive. Despite this minor irritation, the question of exactly what happened to Gaylene Harjo and her baby 30 years ago compels you to read page after page until you find out. It was a very enjoyable book that would keep anyone occupied on a long plane ride.