Here on Moon
emkraussauthor@sbcglobal.net
Edward M. Krauss is a writer and mediator living in Columbus, Ohio. He is author of three novels: Solomon the Accountant, a gentle love story set in a middle-class Jewish community in 1950; Here on Moon, a story of deceit, divorce, and recovery; and A Story of Bad, two stories wound together, a murder mystery and a love story. He is also co-author of ON BEING THE BOSS, a book about effective crises management and the U.S. Constitution’s application in the workplace.
Recognition:
North American Bookdealers Exchange Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner for Fiction
- Paperback: 305 pages
- Publisher: Infinity Publishing (PA) (September 21, 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0741407884
- ISBN-13: 978-0741407887
Edward M. Krauss
Here on Moon is about a woman, Carole, in her mid-30s, with a
successful career in a Boston investment firm, husband Ken, and a
bright and witty 14-year-old daughter.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, she discovers her husband’s infidelity, and is devastated and humiliated by his refusal to be forgiven. In spite of a visit to a marriage counselor he remains adamant, saying that he simply no longer loves his wife, and divorce is the only option.
We follow her as she travels through trauma, anger, and grudging acceptance of her new status as a divorcee. Support comes to her from a neighbor, a woman who has been divorced for several years, and from a women’s support group that invites her into their circle.
There are difficult, emotionally tricky moments: How to deal with the presence of the divorcing husband at her mother's hospital bed ... how to support her daughter's role as a "shared child" ... how to endure a book club meeting in which the ex-husband's lover unexpectedly shows up?
Learning how to deal with being a single mother, how to get over being diminished by her divorce, she gains strength to begin her search for a new life. Well-meaning friends and co-workers introduce her to the appropriate single-again dating rituals. Her neighbor is skilled in the ways of dating and eager to have the new divorcee accompany her to singles bars. A male co-worker engineers a blind date with his good buddy. At the end, a careful new beginning.
This is a book about losing and looking for love, about being a single parent, about starting over. It celebrates family and a woman who perseveres with surprising new-found spirit.
Excerpt from the book:
This section comes from early in the novel, Carole has persuaded Ken to visit the marriage counselor, Dr. Ckeye:
Dr. Ckeye was a thin, elegant woman in her seventies, or perhaps eighties. She moved, not as much slowly as carefully, inviting them into her office, shaking hands firmly with Ken and Carole and asking them to take a seat. The doctor wore her hair tied back with a velvet bow that coordinated with her proper, tailored suit. Her office was large, with one wall almost full of books. Everything was well-worn leather, beautiful dark woods, comfortable wing chairs, and a desk in the corner that was an antique dealer’s dream. A beautiful, comfortable, wonderful office.
Two chairs, with a small table between, faced one chair. The two were identical, and the table between held a rose in a crystal bud vase and a small box of tissues. There was also a small carafe and two empty, bright-clean glasses. Under the table was a tiny, empty wastebasket. Dr. Ckeye’s wing chair was a brighter brocade than the two it faced, and her table held a small pad and bronze colored ballpoint pen, a carafe and one glass.
All the financial and insurance papers had been filled out in the outer office. Ken and Carole had been told what to bring and to be there at 2:00 with the appointment to begin at 2:30. Ken, who strongly believes people should be on time, noted that the doctor opened her office door for them at 2:24.
Dr. Ckeye picked up her pen and pad, and looked at them with astonishingly bright, turquoise eyes. “Carole, Ken” she said, looking directly at each in turn, “Please tell me why we are here.”
Ken began. “I don’t want to be here, no offense, Dr. Ckeye, but you are a marriage counselor, and I don’t want to be counseled. I’m not trying to save this marriage, Carole is. I won’t change my mind.”
The slightest shrug. The doctor’s voice was soft but clear. “But you came so that?--”
“Carole insisted. I feel like I have to do this so we can get on with it.”
“The divorce.”
“Yes.”
Dr. Ckeye turned her head, her shoulders just a little. Carole noticed that the doctor’s legs were crossed at the ankle. “Carole?”
“I thought about this, about why I wanted to come. OK, first, I am hurt and angry. He was unfaithful to me. In our bed. I am very hurt. He doesn’t begin to understand what he has done to me.” A long pause. “I love him.” Another pause, a ragged breath. Ken sat looking at Dr. Ckeye, not at his wife. “I am very mad, very hurt, angry, insulted, angry -- I want, here is what I want. Two things. I want to be sure, both of us to be sure, that it is over. And if we both are sure, then I guess I need some advice, because I sure don’t want to be in love with Ken if he isn’t in love with me. I don’t want that.” Carole could feel the tears almost starting, but she raised her chin and arched her eyebrows high and tight and talked on, quickly. “So I want to hear him tell me that. I heard him say ‘I love you’ enough times, I guess I want him to tell me he doesn’t.”
“And the second thing?”
“Why. Just, why. Why?”
“Please, why what?”
“Uhh, everything, all. Why did he have sex with another woman? Why does he want a divorce? Why won’t he try to save our marriage? Why?”
“Please, Carole” Ken said, turning to look at her. “I am still sorting things out, but I really know I don’t want to go on with this. I want you to get a lawyer. I want us to be decent to each other and get on with our lives. Maybe I’m sorry I came here because I don’t want you thinking I will change my mind. You know, Carole, that’s just the point, and I’ve told you that a dozen times.”
“What is the point?”
“That my mind is changed. I have changed. I don’t want to be married anymore. Over and over I keep saying these things, and I’m tired of saying them. I’m not coming back here, or doing more counseling. I did this for you. I guess I should have refused.”
“And you don’t think I deserve to know why.” A statement.
“People fall in love, people are in love, they fall out -- they fall out of love, they go on to the next thing. Some people stay forever, and that is great. Maybe I’m jealous of them, I don’t know, but that’s not me or what happened to me. I fell in and I fell out and here we are. What do you want from me?”
“My goodness, Kenneth” Carole said, not looking at him. “You sound like an acrobat, in and out and on to the next. Or maybe a rabbit.”
Suddenly, unexpectedly, she discovers her husband’s infidelity, and is devastated and humiliated by his refusal to be forgiven. In spite of a visit to a marriage counselor he remains adamant, saying that he simply no longer loves his wife, and divorce is the only option.
We follow her as she travels through trauma, anger, and grudging acceptance of her new status as a divorcee. Support comes to her from a neighbor, a woman who has been divorced for several years, and from a women’s support group that invites her into their circle.
There are difficult, emotionally tricky moments: How to deal with the presence of the divorcing husband at her mother's hospital bed ... how to support her daughter's role as a "shared child" ... how to endure a book club meeting in which the ex-husband's lover unexpectedly shows up?
Learning how to deal with being a single mother, how to get over being diminished by her divorce, she gains strength to begin her search for a new life. Well-meaning friends and co-workers introduce her to the appropriate single-again dating rituals. Her neighbor is skilled in the ways of dating and eager to have the new divorcee accompany her to singles bars. A male co-worker engineers a blind date with his good buddy. At the end, a careful new beginning.
This is a book about losing and looking for love, about being a single parent, about starting over. It celebrates family and a woman who perseveres with surprising new-found spirit.
Excerpt from the book:
This section comes from early in the novel, Carole has persuaded Ken to visit the marriage counselor, Dr. Ckeye:
Dr. Ckeye was a thin, elegant woman in her seventies, or perhaps eighties. She moved, not as much slowly as carefully, inviting them into her office, shaking hands firmly with Ken and Carole and asking them to take a seat. The doctor wore her hair tied back with a velvet bow that coordinated with her proper, tailored suit. Her office was large, with one wall almost full of books. Everything was well-worn leather, beautiful dark woods, comfortable wing chairs, and a desk in the corner that was an antique dealer’s dream. A beautiful, comfortable, wonderful office.
Two chairs, with a small table between, faced one chair. The two were identical, and the table between held a rose in a crystal bud vase and a small box of tissues. There was also a small carafe and two empty, bright-clean glasses. Under the table was a tiny, empty wastebasket. Dr. Ckeye’s wing chair was a brighter brocade than the two it faced, and her table held a small pad and bronze colored ballpoint pen, a carafe and one glass.
All the financial and insurance papers had been filled out in the outer office. Ken and Carole had been told what to bring and to be there at 2:00 with the appointment to begin at 2:30. Ken, who strongly believes people should be on time, noted that the doctor opened her office door for them at 2:24.
Dr. Ckeye picked up her pen and pad, and looked at them with astonishingly bright, turquoise eyes. “Carole, Ken” she said, looking directly at each in turn, “Please tell me why we are here.”
Ken began. “I don’t want to be here, no offense, Dr. Ckeye, but you are a marriage counselor, and I don’t want to be counseled. I’m not trying to save this marriage, Carole is. I won’t change my mind.”
The slightest shrug. The doctor’s voice was soft but clear. “But you came so that?--”
“Carole insisted. I feel like I have to do this so we can get on with it.”
“The divorce.”
“Yes.”
Dr. Ckeye turned her head, her shoulders just a little. Carole noticed that the doctor’s legs were crossed at the ankle. “Carole?”
“I thought about this, about why I wanted to come. OK, first, I am hurt and angry. He was unfaithful to me. In our bed. I am very hurt. He doesn’t begin to understand what he has done to me.” A long pause. “I love him.” Another pause, a ragged breath. Ken sat looking at Dr. Ckeye, not at his wife. “I am very mad, very hurt, angry, insulted, angry -- I want, here is what I want. Two things. I want to be sure, both of us to be sure, that it is over. And if we both are sure, then I guess I need some advice, because I sure don’t want to be in love with Ken if he isn’t in love with me. I don’t want that.” Carole could feel the tears almost starting, but she raised her chin and arched her eyebrows high and tight and talked on, quickly. “So I want to hear him tell me that. I heard him say ‘I love you’ enough times, I guess I want him to tell me he doesn’t.”
“And the second thing?”
“Why. Just, why. Why?”
“Please, why what?”
“Uhh, everything, all. Why did he have sex with another woman? Why does he want a divorce? Why won’t he try to save our marriage? Why?”
“Please, Carole” Ken said, turning to look at her. “I am still sorting things out, but I really know I don’t want to go on with this. I want you to get a lawyer. I want us to be decent to each other and get on with our lives. Maybe I’m sorry I came here because I don’t want you thinking I will change my mind. You know, Carole, that’s just the point, and I’ve told you that a dozen times.”
“What is the point?”
“That my mind is changed. I have changed. I don’t want to be married anymore. Over and over I keep saying these things, and I’m tired of saying them. I’m not coming back here, or doing more counseling. I did this for you. I guess I should have refused.”
“And you don’t think I deserve to know why.” A statement.
“People fall in love, people are in love, they fall out -- they fall out of love, they go on to the next thing. Some people stay forever, and that is great. Maybe I’m jealous of them, I don’t know, but that’s not me or what happened to me. I fell in and I fell out and here we are. What do you want from me?”
“My goodness, Kenneth” Carole said, not looking at him. “You sound like an acrobat, in and out and on to the next. Or maybe a rabbit.”
