A poetic account of six generations born from an act of rebellion and set free into the world, this novel begins on Trinidad as Marie Ursule plots a mass suicide of fellow slaves and ensures the escape of her "vanity and joy," little Bola. Marie Ursule's descendants, born of Bola and her lust for different men, dash off to disparate lives, which Brand describes in separate, always lyrical, chapters. Although Brand's repetitive use of certain phrases can wear thin, she shows a brilliant command of the emotional side of language. I would not recommend this book to casual readers because its emphasis on language and theme, and not plot, might disappoint them; however, this novel has much to offer serious and attentive readers.

I thought it was an amazing novel, very deep. I think Dionne Brand dwelled to much on simple situations in the plot, which at times made it boring, but overall extremely well written

I just finished reading this one for a class. It is a very complex novel that I think would benefit from multiple readings. The novel is extremely discriptive and tells the story of two women from different parts of the world and how their paths ultimately cross. Brand's prose is intricately woven with a combination of confusion, wonder, and anger that emminates through fresh use of voice and perception. The book illustrates the impact of the imperialism and the slave-trade in the Carribean and takes place in both the islands and Ontario. I recomend this one but caution that it is a book that takes effort to really get into it.