'' The Moon Is Down '' is a novel by American writer John Steinbeck . Fashioned for adaptation for the theatre and for which Steinbeck received the Norwegian King Haakon VII Freedom Cross , it was published by Viking Press in March 1942 . The story tells of the military occupation of a small town in Northern Europe by the army of an unnamed nation at war with England and Russia ( much like the occupation of Norway by the Germans during World War II ) . A French language translation of the book was published illegally in Nazi-occupied France by Les Éditions de Minuit , a French Resistance publishing house . Furthermore , numerous other editions were also secretly published across all of occupied Europe , including Norwegian , Danish , Dutch , and Italian versions ( as well as a Swedish version ) ; it was the best known work of U.S. literature in the Soviet Union during the war . Although the text never names the occupying force as German , references to " The Leader " , " Memories of defeats in Belgium and France 20 years ago " clearly suggest it . Written with a purpose to motivate and enthuse the resistance movements in occupied countries , the book has appeared in at least 92 editions across the world
King Haakon VII Freedom Cross
King Haakon VII Freedom Cross
The Moon Is Down