As the story of her descent into madness unfolds and the bond between the crazy woman and the gay man develops and strengthens, so too does the desire of the reader to understand the sights, sounds, smells and emotions that fashioned the young Mala's destiny. Through the magic of Mootoo's prose and the richness of her dialogue we are transported to the small Caribbean town of Paradise at the moment a scandal that has been evolving for a lifetime is uncovered.

Cereus Blooms by Night is a stunning first novel from an author with an enviable talent for luscious writing that makes the reader see, feel and believe in the lives of the people and places she describes.

For the first half of the book, Mootoo moves easily between Tyler's narrative and a third-person account of Mala's life as a child. The chapters covering the adoption of Mala's father, Chandin Ramchandin, by a white missionary and his wife and Chandin's obsession with his foster sister, Lavinia, offer a telling perspective on race and colonialism; later chapters detailing Chandin's descent into alcoholism, madness, and child abuse are occasionally overwrought, but the strong, child's-eye point of view of young Mala keeps the novel grounded. The second half of Cereus abandons both Tyler and the omniscient narrator, choosing to focus, instead, on Otoh Mohanty, the son of Mala's childhood friend, Boyie. Here Mootoo also introduces, for the first time, elements of the fantastic: a girl who "wills" herself to become a boy; a man who sleeps for weeks at a time, only waking one day each month; a mysterious, locked room that holds a horrifying secret. The result is pure melodrama wrapped up in lovely prose.

Even though the last half of the book seems too suddenly freighted towards the magical and improbable, and the happy ending is a trifle too contrived, Cereus Blooms at Night showcases Shani Mootoo's impressive mastery of language. And in Mala Ramchandin, she has created a tough and tender heroine who commands the reader's interest and sympathy from first page to last. --Alix Wilber

I read this book almost a year ago and don't have it with me, so forgive me if I can't make specific references. I began CEREUS with high hopes. But something began scratching me at the back of the neck about halfway through. And then I had it! Sisters, each protective of the other. One bolder and less inclined to just accept her lot in life. Abusive, rapist father. Hmmmm... Gay and lesbian themes. Runaway sister, lost to the other. Missing, then recovered letters. !

Alice Walker's THE COLOR PURPLE, anyone?

CEREUS was a decent story; its descriptions were lush and lovely; and it was worth reading, but come on. Give me a break. If you can't come up with an original idea for your book, at least don't plagiarize a Pulitzer Prize-winner.