At the Full and Change of the Moon

by Dionne Brand

In 1824 on the island of Trinidad, Marie Ursule, queen of a secret society of militant slaves called the Sans Peur Regiment, plots a mass suicide, a quietly brazen act of revolt. The end of the Sans Peur is also the beginning of a new world, for Marie Ursule cannot kill her young daughter, Bola, who escapes to live free and bear a dynasty of descendants who spill out across the Caribbean, North America, and Europe. Haunted by a legacy of passion and oppression, the children of Bola pass through two world wars and into the confusion, estrangement, and violence of the late twentieth century. There is Samuel, the soldier who goes to war to defend Mother England and returns with a broken spirit; Cordelia, a woman who has spent her life suppressing the fiery desire that finally catches her, unabated, in her fiftieth year; Priest, the “badjohn” who leaves the islands for a gangster life ranging from Miami to Brooklyn; and Adrian, who ends up a junkie on the streets of Amsterdam. And still in Trinidad there is the second Bola, who lives alone in the family home, wandering among the dead and waiting for the generations of her ancestors to join her.

"[Brand has] a lush and exuberant style that may put some readers in mind of Toni Morrison or Edwidge Danticat." -- William Ferguson, The New York Times Book Review.
"A delicately structured, beautifully written novel infused with rare emotional clarity." —Julie Wheelwright, The Independent (London); "Rich, elegiac, almost biblical in its rhythms . . . One of the essential works of our times." — The Globe & Mail (Toronto).

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Canada, Novels, LGBT, Literary Fiction, Historical

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

As a young girl growing up in Trinidad, Dionne Brand submitted poems to the newspapers under the pseudonym Xavier Simone, an homage to Nina Simone, whom she would listen to late at night on the radio. Brand moved to Canada when she was 17 to attend the University of Toronto, where she earned a degree in Philosophy and English, a Masters in the Philosophy of Education and pursued PhD studies in Women’s History but left the program to make time for creative writing.

Dionne Brand first came to prominence in Canada as a poet. Her books of poetry include No Language Is Neutral, a finalist for the Governor General’s Award, and Land to Light On, winner of the Governor General’s Award and the Trillium Award and thirsty, finalist for the Griffin Prize and winner of the Pat Lowther Award for poetry. Brand is also the author of the acclaimed novels In Another Place, Not Here, which was shortlisted for the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Trillium Award, and At the Full and Change of the Moon. Her works of non-fiction include Bread Out of Stone and A Map to the Door of No Return.

What We All Long For was published to great critical acclaim in 2005. While writing the novel, Brand would find herself gazing out the window of a restaurant in the very Toronto neighbourhood occupied by her characters. “I’d be looking through the window and I’d think this is like the frame of the book, the frame of reality: ‘There they are: a young Asian woman passing by with a young black woman passing by, with a young Italian man passing by,” she says in an interview with The Toronto Star. A recent Vanity Fair article quotes her as saying “I’ve ‘read’ New York and London and Paris. And I thought this city needs to be written like that, too.”

In addition to her literary accomplishments, Brand is Professor of English in the School of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph.

For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/dionne-b...

Reviews

[Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. *thug tears*

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

If only someone could manage to study how experiences move through generations of people, how what happens to one person can matter in the life of the next. If only there were a study, covering centuries, that was psychologically, socially, economically, sexually, and spiritually focused, that could give insight into some of the toughest, most perplexing aspects of life. If only...

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I worked out like a fiend on the elliptical machine this morning, thanks to Dionne Brand's "At the Full and Change of the Moon." Her writing is so lyrical and beautiful, and her characters so fascinating that I didn't realize I went 3.5 miles and burned over 500 calories while reading. That's just the kind of book this is. While it's not a novel of cliff-hangers, action, or suspense, Brand weaves a beautiful epic that tells the story of the African Diaspora and its children, and she successfully brings to life landscapes both lush and magical, gritty and real, that you can fall into and get lost in for hours. And that, for me, defines a good read.

[MaKenna Pearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very important read that looks at the effects of generational trauma through the use of beautiful prose. It can be a bit winded at some points, but that’s the style and doesn’t take away from the storytelling.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fairly complex. Playing with Western assumptions about life writing and temporality, it juxtaposes different stories in an enchanting way. Negotiating the legacy of slavery up to the 1980s, the book shows that trauma can endure several generations and is not bound to place neither.
For me, the book is both: unbelievably sad but somehow, inbetween what is obvious, also full of hope.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brand's fiction is searing! Amazing book.

[Geneviève · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully, complexly scenic route along a genealogy of freedom

[2TReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words for how tragically beautiful this book is. Through one woman's descendants, Brand charts changing perceptions and times through familial bonds. Nothing is easy in this family. There is loneliness, madness, anger, fear, regret, and hope all wrapped up in each character's journey.

I love when poets write novels. The way they contort and smooth language across pages makes the worlds they create more affecting. You are immersed from page 1, and Brand doesn't let up on the devastating power that will wreck you as you read each character's story.

At The Full And Change Of The Moon is encompassing. You won't regret reading it.

[Elliot A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like opening a bottle of champagne and inviting the neighbours to celebrate making it through this book. It was that bad.

Most of the time I had absolutely no idea what was going on. The story kept jumping back and forth in time, making it almost impossible to keep track of the generational growth that is supposed to occur throughout the story.

On any one page I read the same sentence at least three times, each time something more was added to it, which made this story extremely difficult to read, since I could never get past the senseless repetition that is supposed to add to the poetic nature of narrating the suffering and tragedy the characters had to endure.

Unfortunately, in this case it did not work at all. It took away from the opportunity for the reader to connect with the characters and really experience their stories.

The story was narrated from a third person point-of-view with the added distance of using "would" or "should", making it impossible to attain an idea of the characters' true dimensions. In addition, there were more than a few instances where the vivid language of describing quite natural human urges had me almost lose my lunch.
I understand that the author's intentions were to be bold and thought provoking, but these statements come across as vulgar and inappropriate.

It gave the impression the author attempted to redefine the genre of Black Atlantic literature by making it unnecessarily complex and obscure, losing all the raw and intense nature that made this genre so powerful in the beginning.

That's all I will say about this book. There are so many better stories about the topic of Black Atlantic literature, just don't bother with this one.

ElliotScribbles

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une immense saga familiale (au moins 5 générations si je ne me suis pas trop perdu dans la descendance) qui part d'une révolte d'esclave trinidadadiens avec en tête, Marie Ursule, qui épargne sa fille dans une rebellion censée la tuer. S'en suit de longs portraits de plusieurs membres de cette famille qui se rendent un peu partout dans le monde et vivent très différemment leur vie. Qu'il s'agisse d'être une mannequin de vitrine qui écrit à sa mère décédée, un revendeur de drogue gai, une femme qui voit sa mère encore en vie, un criminel cruel, etc. on observe ces différents personnages et l'impact que leur mère, grand-mère, arrière-grand mère, aura sur eux, à travers les récits qui seront faits sur Marie Ursule, mais aussi les blancs qu'elles laissent et la famille qui se perd à travers les générations.

Les sagas familiales ne sont pas vraiment mon genre de lecture donc je n'ai pas pu l'apprécier autant que d'autres pourront le faire, mais c'est un ouvrage assez ambitieux et bien écrit. Je pensais qu'il s'agissait d'une nouveauté de Dionne Brand et non pas d'un roman paru en 1999 donc c'est assez différent des autres ouvrages de Brand que j'ai lu dernièrement en terme de style et d'écriture.

[aj ⚢☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

i can understand why some people enjoy this book and why it’s objectively good on a literature basis but it was just not for me. some chapters were pretty interesting but for a book that relies on its characters to tell the story of diaspora through generations almost none of its characters were all that interesting. i didn’t get enough time with basically any of the characters to connect with them or to care about anything they were saying and the book overall moved from thing to thing too quickly. i generally don’t like books that are written to confuse the reader e.g. books that don’t really have a plot, books where you can’t always tell what character’s pov it is in a given chapter, etc. and this book was exactly that. definitely no hate to writer because the prose is beautiful this book was just not my type of thing and i do not think i am smart enough to understand it as deeply as the people giving this book five stars.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really surprised at how fast I read this book. Its the first time I have read a poetic style novel and I was entranced from page one. I saw some reviews saying they felt they didnt have enough time or information to get to know the characters which feels shocking to me, i feel like I knew each of them intimately. I feel like i was both deeply aware of every feeling described while at the same time in shock at the unimaginable devastation wracked on each of their lives and the ways we so humanly contort to self soothe these unplaceable wounds. I honestly feel like this book had carved a new pathway in my brain. I noticed so often that without solving the riddle of the poetic framing I could feel through the pages the voice and energy of each character and moment. There were so many times where Dionne described a human experience that I didn’t know until that moment I had felt many many times. Safe to say I loved this book.

[Matteo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really don’t like writing negative reviews but I found this book a real slog. First and foremost I found the writing style made it tough to truly gain insight into the many characters in the book. Furthermore the repetition in the book seemed rather unnecessary and made a lot of the chapters feel meandering and long. I would’ve given this a 1 star review were it not for my mild enjoyment of the chapters blue airmail letter and Bola.

[Veronica Rooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was supposed to read this book my last semester of college lol but of course that never happened. Remember liking the part that I did read and went back to finish it, so glad I did! The way Brand writes is immaculate and so magnetic; watching the family tree travel through the centuries really made me think deeply about the act of motherhood and what a family legacy really means. Love love love this book

[Christy Rooney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just really wasn’t for me but I can respect the poetic value of the narrative.

If you like poetic language and imagery and you are okay with there not really being a plot, you would enjoy this book, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me.

[Ba]

Structurally reminded me of GGM and Morrison

[Camille Roylance · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most beautiful book I've ever read.

[Evie Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Mariella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful but ending drags a bit

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have appreciated this more had it it not been read for a class

[Avital · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inter-generational story of Caribbean slavery and diaspora, written by the Canadian author Dionne Brand, born in the Caribbean.This neo-slave narrative, a story of a Trinidadian slave and her descendants, accompanies the family from Trinidad to Amsterdam in the twentieth century. The novel begins in 1802 when a female slave leads a mass suicide revolt, releasing from it only her daughter, and dies tortured yet realized. The real and the imagined tie the daughter with her memories, and affect the way she treats her own children, her senses, nature and lovers. Her memory, pain, hope, and unconventional behavior mark the future of the family.
The book does many great things, breaking with certain conventions for one, sticking to others, questioning a lot. The prose is flowery-I am wondering if it is intentional-a usage of a Caribbean storytelling tradition, or Brand's style.
On a second reading I love it much more. The poetry, the characterization, the thread of suffering and struggle are admirable.

[Chidinma Osuagwu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Send me to the secret hills, to the secret places even beyond those secret hills..."
This woman can W R I T E. I was in awe and can not wait to read more of her work.

I especially loved this text because it spoke of maroonage in a real and accurate way, the process of taking flight a true resistance of African enslavement.

Marie Ursule is an ancestor you'll recall once you read this text.

Worthy of reread.

[Nathaniel]

I’m very sad about this book not going well. Between the title, the cover, and the synopsis, I was expecting a gorgeously written story about a family spanning multiple generations. Instead, I got a bit bored and lost in the plot. I get the vision and I really did go into this expecting a new favourite, but the execution was not for me.

[Scarlett Bayliff · Rating 4 out of 5]

"At the Full and Change of the Moon" by Dionne Brand: A Poignant Exploration of Modernity, Diasporic Identity, and Trauma

Dionne Brand's novel, "At the Full and Change of the Moon," offers a profound and nuanced examination of the relationship between modernity and the sea. Through the masterful use of tidal imagery, diasporic identity, and themes of trauma, Brand portrays the enduring impact of the Middle Passage on the present-day experiences of the African diaspora. The novel delves into the complexities of identity, belonging, and the yearning for cultural connection.

Brand employs a tidal conceit throughout the book, symbolizing water as a metaphorical representation of movement and transport. Water becomes a carrier of symbolism, evoking passages of change and transformation. This powerful association between modernity and the sea holds implications for a new future for the Black Diaspora, highlighting the profound ways in which historical legacies continue to shape contemporary experiences.

I want a village and a sea shore and a rock out in the ocean and the certainty that when the moon is in the fall the sea will rise and for that whole time I will be watching what all of my ancestry have watched, for all ages.

One character, Adrian Dovett, exemplifies the struggles faced by individuals grappling with fractured identities. Detained in an INS camp as an 'illegal alien,' Adrian becomes vulnerable to exploitation by his distant relative Carlyle. He embodies a fragmented sense of self and wrestles with questions of belonging and identity. In his chapter, Brand employs a cyclical structure, opening and closing with Adrian lying on the floor, "shedding water" and "spewing up an ocean." Vivid imagery of "sea turtles and sea cockroaches" emerging from his mouth accentuates his disconnection from his past (p.204).

This portrayal of Adrian's literal bodily rejection of his history echoes the trauma of the Middle Passage. Brand's tidal conceit serves as a poignant reminder of the characters' yearning for escape from pain and a longing for connection with spirits and ancestors. Adrian's physical expulsion of the sea signifies his dislocation from the past and his struggle to find a cultural sense of belonging.

Throughout "At the Full and Change of the Moon," Dionne Brand skillfully navigates the complexities of modernity, diasporic identity, and trauma. The novel's exploration of the relationship between the sea and the characters' experiences serves as a powerful metaphor for the enduring legacy of the Middle Passage. By interweaving themes of water, movement, and cultural dislocation, Brand invites readers to reflect on the profound impact of historical events on individual lives and the ongoing struggle to forge a sense of identity and belonging.

In conclusion, "At the Full and Change of the Moon" is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant novel that delves into the intricate connections between modernity, diasporic identity, and the lasting trauma of the Middle Passage. Dionne Brand's skillful use of tidal imagery and thematic exploration offers readers a profound understanding of the ongoing struggles faced by the African diaspora. This captivating work of literature invites readers to contemplate the complexities of history, identity, and the enduring pursuit of belonging in a modern world shaped by past traumas.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wrote a review of this book, but no, I just dreamed I wrote a review of this book. I thought and dreamed and wrote a review of this book. But really, I couldn't have written a review of this book, I couldn't have thought that I wrote a review of this book and I couldn't have dreamt that I wrote a review of this book, because I died. I died a thousand years before and four thousand kilometres away from the time my mother was born and where she settled with my family of origin. I died and so couldn't have written a review of this book, couldn't have thought about it, couldn't have dreamt it. But here is someone reading this review. But this person is not really reading this review, they are just dreaming that they are reading this review in the same way I dreamt that I wrote this review but of course, I couldn't have written this review because I only dreamt it, dreamt it from the afterlife because I died. I died a thousand years before and four thousand kilometres away from the time my mother was born and where she settled with my family of origin. And yet, here is this review on this website that we have all dreamt exists but which really doesn't because it couldn't have written it, couldn't have thought about writing it, couldn't have dreamt it, because I died, I died a thousand years before and four thousand kilometres away from the time my mother was born and where she settled with my family of origin.

Oh, and then I will write some everyday prose to move on to the next part of the review where I say that every last person populating the latter part of the book - the entire book really - is a terrible, miserable person, a living terrible, miserable lives while doing terrible, miserable things to themselves and each other.

And I'll use a few more everyday sentences to say that I get it that this is an Important Book in Canadian Literature. I get that, and I added an entire extra star to my rating just for that. But I am profoundly grateful that I can return this book to the library, with my sympathies to the next person on the waitlist. I am glad I will never again have to interact with these characters and I will ensure that is the case but also avoiding any other books by this author.

But, it all doesn't matter, because I only dreamt that I read this book and you are only dreaming that you are reading this review. Because, you can't be reading this review because I died. I died a thousand years before and four thousand kilometres away from the time my mother was born and where she settled with my family of origin. So this review doesn't exist at all.

[Brigid Armbrust · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for multi-generational family sagas.

At the Full and Change of the Moon is one of the more interesting versions of that type of story I've encountered so far because it focuses less on the factual sequence of the lineage (the family tree at the beginning of the book is, I believe intentionally, somewhat vague), and more on the fragments of memory and connection that exist between relatives who have never met. There is a recurring theme of the blurry line between love and neglect that exists for many of the characters, who do not wish to pass their trauma on to their children, and so distance themselves from them physically and/or emotionally in an attempt to protect them, which of course never works out as planned. As this novel repeatedly demonstrates through its magical-realist imagery, emotional and embodied experiences of trauma can be passed down, even when factual information about the events that created them isn't. And emotional distance from a parent creates its own kind of trauma, which is then passed down as well. This book is about what we forget and what we remember, both consciously and subconsciously, about our ancestors. It is about what is passed on and what is lost to time and how that process happens in the bodies and minds of human beings. It is about how all this is shaped by colonialism, poverty, and the generational trauma of slavery.

I feel like I'm doing an awful job of describing this book/how amazing it is.... But the point is, go read it! The exquisite writing and creative story structure make reading this book an incredibly satisfying, haunting and emotionally intense experience.

[Wyatt strawbridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third to last chapter "Blue Airmail Letter" was so much better than all of the rest of the book. some of the themes, when Band finally got around to characters that repeated previous characters' in the lineage actions felt like they had significance and really meant something but it took so long. I felt like if this book was read aloud it would be a lot better and I know that Brand was and is a Poet too so it seemed like even though this was a poem originally it maybe should have stayed one, become an epic or sorts. With the way it is written, trying to be very figurative, I just don't think prose is the form for the story. It felt like in the more human 1st person letter format of the third to last chapter Brand could finally write in a way closer to that which fit the things in her mind. IDK. lots of symbolism. big timeline. confusing. very ambitious and I don't think it it worked out in the end

[Mackenzie Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nothing is changing, it is just that we are forgetting. All the centuries past may be one long sleep. We are either put to sleep or we choose to sleep. Nothing is changing, we are just forgetting. I am forgetting you, but it is work, forgetting."

The weight of this book is heavy on thy shoulders. Through poetic prose, Dionne Brand weaves a deep story of a family within generations, wandering through a family tree through the narration of each corresponding member. With a mix of both forward-looking and backward-looking perspectives to sandwich the novel, one comes to a full circle (oval? weird circular shape? shape at all?) by the end of the novel as the past runs up to catch these characters in the generations in a strange backstitch creating the seams of family.

[Cadence · Rating 3 out of 5]

(dnf) ok so i was reading this for english but due to mental health struggles my focus was NOT there to get through the first half of this book. i do intend to go back and finish it one day when I'm in a better headspace.

that said, the themes and overall narrative of this book are very interesting and important to think about. definitely an interesting read, just need to return to it when i can properly absorb it.

(PERHAPS I will finish this entirely when im on break for the summer—do not take this rating as the gospel until i complete it)

[Creighton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second family saga from my Caribbean class, another kind of disappointing read in the end though, I really enjoyed Maya and Adrian as characters and Marie Ursula and Cordelia as well but the last two chapters were so confusing and didn’t provide any closure for anybody and I think that’s a disservice to the characters I attached to, the lyricism and description is masterful sure but that’s what keeps this piece afloat - I do really believe this is another victim of being a book for a class though, had I been reading it for fun I think my review would be totally different