Emma and John had been together since their teens, but at 26 Emma still felt too young to marry. Living happily together in Dublin, Ireland, since college, the couple also shared a group of close friends. On the night of a party to celebrate a friend's large inheritance, an unexpected tragedy takes away Emma's hopes for future happiness.

Emma wants to be alone with her grief, but her family and friends continue to helpfully interfere. Her brother Noel, a priest doubting his own choices, is especially careful to take care of her, as is John's best friend, Seán.

As Emma watches her friends' lives move ahead, she doesn't understand why she can't get it together. The only person who seems to understand her pain is Seán, but they share a guilty secret from the night of John's death that's keeping them apart. Emma fears that nothing good will ever happen again. Can she overcome her grief to let in love?

For a book almost entirely centered on one woman's grief, PACK UP THE MOON still captures the poignant truths of human relationships. Emma's interactions with her brother are particularly touching, although each of her friends illustrates the unique ways people can love each other. Full of candid, funny and honest moments, this guaranteed tear-jerker should be an excellent choice for book clubs and those readers who enjoy women's fiction and the complexities of life.