The Valley of the Moon (1913) is a novel by American writer Jack London. Inspired by his experiences as a working-class man and dedicated socialist, London incorporates aspects of his own biography—his interest in sailing, his life on a ranch in Sonoma County—to tell a story of hardship, hope, and perseverance. Having grown disillusioned with the labor movement, London uses the novel to advocate for sustainable agriculture and other alternatives to industry, urban life, and modernization. A former professional boxer, Billy works as a Teamster in Oakland, where strikes and demonstrations for the labor movement often turn violent. Soon after his marriage to Saxon, a young laundry worker, Billy is arrested for assaulting a strikebreaker, the stress of which contributes to his wife’s miscarriage. When he is released from jail, Saxon convinces him to reject the labor movement, and the two embark on a journey north to look for work and a new life away from the city. On the way, they meet immigrant farmers who instruct them in the ways of sustainable farming, briefly join an artists’ colony, and befriend a young journalist and his wife. After winning a substantial amount of money in a boxing match, Billy purchases a team of horses and envisions a life of prosperity and safety with which to start a family. The Valley of the Moon, though relatively unsuccessful at the time of its publication, is a meditative work that illuminates the disparities of the American Dream and provides alternatives without succumbing to despair. In its pages, we see the prototype for such authors as John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac, visionaries and restless souls who refused to accept that life was impossible to change. This edition of Jack London’s The Valley of the Moon is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.
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Jack London (1876-1916) was an American novelist and journalist. Born in San Francisco to Florence Wellman, a spiritualist, and William Chaney, an astrologer, London was raised by his mother and her husband, John London, in Oakland. An intelligent boy, Jack went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley before leaving school to join the Klondike Gold Rush. His experiences in the Klondike—hard labor, life in a hostile environment, and bouts of scurvy—both shaped his sociopolitical outlook and served as powerful material for such works as “To Build a Fire” (1902), The Call of the Wild (1903), and White Fang (1906). When he returned to Oakland, London embarked on a career as a professional writer, finding success with novels and short fiction. In 1904, London worked as a war correspondent covering the Russo-Japanese War and was arrested several times by Japanese authorities. Upon returning to California, he joined the famous Bohemian Club, befriending such members as Ambrose Bierce and John Muir. London married Charmian Kittredge in 1905, the same year he purchased the thousand-acre Beauty Ranch in Sonoma County, California. London, who suffered from numerous illnesses throughout his life, died on his ranch at the age of 40. A lifelong advocate for socialism and animal rights, London is recognized as a pioneer of science fiction and an important figure in twentieth century American literature.
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