Title: The Luna Moth Papers: Mirrors For One Another in Real Time: A 20-Year Exchange of Letters With My English Teacher
Author: David Cavagnaro
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1669865032
Pages: 290
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Reviewed by: Jack Chambers

Read Book Review

No matter what path you take in life, or what career you find yourself in, there is always someone in our life who becomes a figurehead of sorts, an inspiring voice of change that puts us on a new path, whether it is for the better or worse. For many, that inspiration can come through their school years, as a beloved teacher speaks to you like no other teacher before, and not only imparts scholarly wisdom but life lessons which make you grow as both an academic and a person.

In author David Cavagnaro’s The Luna Moth Papers: Mirrors For One Another in Real Time: A 20-Year Exchange of Letters With My English Teacher, the author shares a two-decades long exchange between himself and the high school English teacher who inspired him. Keeping a correspondence together for several years, both he and his teacher would experience life and the changing events to come, from the chaos of the 1960s to the harrowing Vietnam War, the education crisis, the moon landing and more. They also shared personal experiences together, from failed marriages and becoming parents, to writing and going through the aging process, and through it all, a mutual respect and love grew which showed the power of friendship and heart that can grow between two people.

The author does a wonderful job of immediately putting into perspective the inspiration behind the bond that would form between himself and his teacher Katheryn, and is able to balance the unique writing style of sharing hand-written letters with the reader and infusing memoir-style storytelling throughout each chapter. The images help to put faces to the names, but the exchange between the author and his teacher allows the reader to feel immersed into their experiences and memories. Each person taking on a life of their own on the page and delivering a story of relatability and communication remains rare to find among students and teachers in this day and age. The way the author is able to take readers through time and history – essentially as each chapter explores not only personal moments in the author and his teacher’s lives – but the world events which were playing out around them was incredible, and make the book very compelling.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy non-fiction books, especially those who enjoy memoirs, personal correspondence and exchanges, and personal relationship stories. The connection between the author and the teacher who inspired him was engaging to say the least, and the way the author was able to relate to and gain insight from Katheryn was so moving to see come to life so naturally during their exchanges with one another. To see history move through their eyes and their perspectives was so incredible, and kept this reader invested as their story progresses.

Memorable, heartfelt, and insightful, author David Cavagnaro’s The Luna Moth Papers: Mirrors For One Another in Real Time: A 20-Year Exchange of Letters With My English Teacher is a must-read book. The flow which develops between David and Katheryn, as well as the chapter breaks allowing readers to get comfortable to the era of these letters and the experiences shared between these two people, and of course the heartfelt connection that forms between them both, inspires and draws out the emotional pull of the author’s narrative for the reader. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!