Jeff is a friend for whom I designed the cover of his new novel. Although I knew a little about the setting of the story, reading the book came as a bit of a revelation. I thought this is a fat book, will it be too heavy? But I was very pleasantly surprised at how the pages turned and how interested I was in what was to happen next. I thought that his research into the science of colour and how a rocket would take the colour to the moon was believable. A crazy but interesting concept... not one I approve of by the way. But I liked Jeff's play with words, his interesting characters. I see him (Jeff) in all of them, and that made me smile. The author, teacher, hippy, music-head. I liked that this book feels personal. That is not always easy to do. It makes for a pretty good read.

I read this book the way I like to read books – slowly, as it’s not one one can rush. It is written beautifully, and honestly, as I’m sure aspects of the author’s life are woven into the fabric of the story. The tension builds as the book unfolds and drew me in.

I was intrigued by the science regarding the moon and the creation of the paint, and by NASA’s role in the plot. But what was most satisfying, even with all the research the author must have done, was that the book read effortlessly, like a good book should.

I started reading this book as I lay on a beach in Thailand feeling care free. Straight away I could really feel the contrast to the story where a man sets out to change and manipulate a little sleepy US town for his own gains. It felt imprisoning. But the story became exciting, and it wasn’t obvious what was going to happen so it kept me gripped till the end.

The author’s language is quirky, but the book was an easy, enjoyable read. It was mainly about the characters, and they were described so well that it just kept me reading. I found them believable, I understood what they were about, and through their dialogue I could understand their dilemmas and how they interacted. The moon, for all its importance to the plot, was still a side story for me.

The novel’s structure is unusual, but it all made sense and was quite refreshing. For example, I liked the way the letter correspondence was used in a really smart way to tell some of the story, I could picture the changing moods of those involved in the plot, and the mystery slowly unfolding until the dramatic end.

I read the first five chapters without taking a break. “When the Moon was White” is a love poem to the moon, to seeing the beauty around us, and to enhancing it. And it is so much more.

Over and over, I felt drawn in. Like Francine, I have been so taken by a place I visited that I knew I had to return. For Francine, it was the moon over the woods of a small town in South Dakota, and the way its light reflected off the cliffs.

Francine did return and discovered that she was not the only one drawn to the town or fascinated by the moon. We also meet Sam and Tris and Banno.

There is poetry, songs of the sixties, and the inspirational attempt to do something dangerously exciting. Will the plan succeed? Is it even ethical? What are the right choices and who will make them?

Jeff Probst’s book is for people who like a good story that incorporates mystery, music, and science. It resonates with people like me who experienced the 1960’s, and I think others will be drawn in by the adventure and the beauty of the language. I recommend you give it a go.

It is a feat of the author's quirky imagination that one is soon drawn into the charming world of Goodmews, a small town that contains more original features than anything I imagine that ever existed in the US in the 60s. The place would surely be subject to a preservation order, with an olde worlde counterculture all of its own, with horse and carriage tours, British type letter boxes, roman numerals for house numbering and street signs and shop windows full of puns and jokes. The place becomes instantly endearing and with a rural backdrop of orange-woods, flora and fauna. And then one becomes interested in the characters who are introduced one by one in different scenes and who have been drawn to Goodmews after hearing a broadcast about the unusual brightness of the moon including a woman who is an astro-geologist, and a man who wants to make a name for himself, somehow. I liked the characters, and their independent solitary natures who come together for the moon project and you wonder about what might happen between them. The wordplay throughout is really delightful is helped by having a character who is a proofreader, and there are plentiful observations about people's idiosyncrasies, anything and everything and descriptions. I also liked the author's attention to colour, to painting, and his broad knowledge of a wide range of things. A good unusual read.

I'm glad to have read this ‘Moon’ book. I don't read many novels but a friend recommended it to me and the title got me in, because the Moon is white, isn’t it? The book looked long but was an easy read as the style was pleasing, light and original. Its playful language and curmudgeonly musings were amusing and it was about many things I enjoy like light, colour and music, especially from the sixties. The characters were all believable and, as the plot intensified, I became aware of what the title meant. The riddle in the middle kept me guessing. I look at the Moon differently now.

This book offers a welcome escape: I quickly became immersed in a world beautifully conceived and captured by author Jeff Probst. There's a wonderfully light touch to the prose and a totally original storyline which, while highly imaginative, isn't beyond the realms of possibility. The whole feel of the town and landscape stays with me; that brilliant white moon and the various intriguing characters pulled together under its thrall.