The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck. Short summary

5 seconds

An enemy army occupies a northern European town. Colonel Lancer faces guerrilla movement and sabotage. Taking the mayor hostage does not stop the resistance.

1 minute

In a European town on the shores of the North Sea, an enemy landing party lands. Steinbeck deliberately does not name the occupying country. The town is important as a port and coal-mining center.

With a blitzkrieg, the enemy managed to seize the town without meeting serious resistance. The main troops moved further inland. The garrison is commanded by Colonel Lancer, who has been through more than one war.

He tries to be polite, but realizes that he cannot please those whose independence has been taken away by force. The story shows how tensions rise, from latent displeasure to organized guerrilla units. Every day there are diversions, men refuse to go down the mines, railroad tracks deteriorate, dynamos short out, stray soldiers are killed.

Lancet throws off his polite tone and takes the mayor and the doctor hostage. But they refuse to appeal to the population to stop the sabotage. The guerrillas contact Great Britain. The country provides military aid to the Resistance.