MOON OF DONDOULÊME: A Novel Paperback – April 27, 2023

I have just finished reading Moon Over Dondouleme. I have read it while on retreat on a remote northern island with very little around me that is not big sky, rock, sand, ocean.I am so glad that I have been reading it here, where the signs of human development are minimal and the sounds of nature prevail.This book is very well written, drawing the reader right into to its magical complex world. It is reminiscent to me of parts of the Lord of the Rings, the book revealing different types of beings all coexisiting in their various worlds and the intersection of these worlds: Dwarves, Sylvans, Hunters, Humans. The story so beautifully portrays various veils between realities, the illusion of time, the alive conscious presence in all of nature. The story so importantly addresses the harmony of the vibratory field that connects all things and therefore the continuation of life. The story addresses in such a subtle and delicate manner the states of wisdom and clear seeing, balance, dominance and will and the responsibilities and effects of each one.Moon Over Dondouleme does all of this and more while taking the reader on a totally enjoyable and engaging labryinth like ride through many different worlds. I was left with the feeling of hope as the author addressed very sober states of our world which were present fifty years ago and are even more critical now.I plan to buy this book for several young adult people in my life as an inspiration and guide, a map for hope and direction.

Sarah Norton has written a modern fable which, like George Orwell’s Animal Farm, has a serious intent. Written over 40 years ago, this recently published novel has more relevance than ever to our modern condition.In Moon of Dondouleme we meet protagonists who have established a cooperative society based on fellow-feeling and a strong sense of community. These dwarfs provide comic relief as they affectionately gossip about members of their community; they also serve as a bridge between the land of Dondoulelme and the modern world bringing back and trading discarded objects of modern civilization.In the tradition of utopian novels, Dondouleme cannot be located on a map and is only accessible every thousand years. Beside the dwarfs, the land is inhabited by the kindly and mysterious sylvans whose connection to nature is so deep that they are able to shape-shift into other creatures.But there is a threat looming in this society at peace with itself and the natural world. Hunters arrived from the outside a millennia before and are led by a despot hungry for wealth and power. The Duke wants to control Dodouleme and make it a tourist haven, if they can get the two strangers from the outside world to cooperate. The fate of Dondouleme hangs in the balance and the end of the short period allowing access is approaching.Norton has wonderful descriptive powers of people and places. She keeps the story moving forward with scenes which propel the reader through the craggy mountains and forests of Dodouleme as the strangers, Joelle and Pierre, are chased by the Hunters. I found myself absorbed and, at times a little fearful for what might befall this sister and brother.Unlike Animal Farm, which analogizes a betrayal of hope, the Moon of Dondouleme instills the hope that, even as our society and planet are degraded, if we act to recover our connections to one another and the earth, another world is possible.

I have just finished reading this beautiful and moving book. I was enthralled. I haven't felt such a sensation of being engulfed in a book for many years. I remember it mostly as a boy, reading and being absorbed in a book so that the reality of the book seemed more present than the reality of my daily life.I appreciated the poetry of the language. I loved the descriptions of the land, the forest, the sky, and the mountains--bringing the scenes to life. I appreciated the interplay of characters and the different challenges they faced. I thought the storyline was wonderfully woven, and it drew me along.Most centrally, I deeply appreciated the reminder of the importance of the earth and the reminder of how our human presence has defiled the land so awfully.In reading the book, I was reminded of the Ents in Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. In the part about the Ents, the trees rise up and stop the destruction being caused by the evil sorcerer and Orcs. In the end, people need trees as much as trees need people. More, in fact. Even if people are gone, trees will still be here.Moon of Dondouleme reminds us to take heart in the midst of this chaotic and uncertain world. The power that the Sylvans speak of in the book is way deeper and more durable than anything humans can do. It was there long before humans and will be there long after as well. The book reminds us that it is our task to live our own true selves and, by doing so, be a gift to others and to the world around us. This book is that kind of gift.