Set in a small Norwegian town during Nazi occupation during World War II, villagers struggle to cope with the invaders and some locals choose collaboration while others prefer armed resistance. Steinbeck explores the effects of invasion on both the conquered and the conquerors. As he delves into the emotions of the German commander and the Norwegian traitor, and depicts the spirited patriotism of the Norwegian underground, Steinbeck uncovers profound, often unsettling truths about war—and about human nature.
When the book was published in the United States, The Moon Is Down immediately became the subject of an intense literary debate in which critics admonished Steinbeck for his humanistic depiction of German soldiers and charged that the novel would have a demoralizing effect on the people of occupied Europe.
The book had an extraordinary impact as Allied propaganda in Nazi-occupied Europe. Despite Axis efforts to suppress it (in Fascist Italy, mere possession of the book was punishable by death), The Moon is Down was secretly translated into French, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, German, Italian and Russian; hundreds of thousands of copies circulated throughout Europe, making it by far the most popular piece of propaganda under the occupation.