Rabbit in the Moon
Rabbit in the Moon by Heather Diamond, published by Camphor Press Limited on May 11, 2021, is a personal memoir that explores the complexities of intercultural relationships and mid-life transformations. Spanning 302 pages, this edition presents Heather’s journey as she navigates her whirlwind romance with Fred, an ethnomusicologist from Hong Kong, while grappling with her identity as a mother and grandmother back in Texas. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of vibrant settings, including Hawaii and Cheung Chau, revealing the cultural discord and eventual acceptance that shape her experiences.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of life in Hong Kong, as Heather chronicles family celebrations, ancestor rituals, and local traditions such as the Hungry Ghosts Festival and Chinese New Year. Her observations blend the perspective of an ethnographer with the insights of a newcomer, capturing the challenges of adjusting to a new culture and the warmth of familial bonds. Rabbit in the Moon offers a thoughtful reflection on the importance of family and the courage required to pursue one’s dreams, making it a significant contribution to the genres of biography and personal memoir.
Official synopsis Publisher
“Has all the ingredients of the best memoirs: an exotic setting, quirky characters, and cultural discord ultimately redeemed by love and acceptance.”
-Claire Chao, author of Remembering Shanghai (Writer’s Digest Grand Prize winner)
Blame it on Hawaii’s rainbows, sparkling beaches, fruity cocktails, and sensuous breezes. For Heather Diamond, there for a summer course on China, a sea change began when romance bloomed with Fred, an ethnomusicologist from Hong Kong. One night under a full moon, Fred tells Heather the story of Chang’e, the moon goddess. He points out how the shadows form a rabbit pounding an elixir of immortality, but all Heather sees in the moon is a man’s face.
Returning to her teaching job in Texas, Heather wonders if the whirlwind affair was a moment of madness. She is, after all, forty-five years old, married, a mother and grandmother. Rabbit in the Moon follows Heather and Fred’s relationship as well as Heather’s challenges with multiple mid-life reinventions, such as moving to Hawaii, entering a Ph.D. program, and living in a dorm with students half her age. When Fred goes on sabbatical, Heather finds herself on the Hong Kong island of Cheung Chau with his large, boisterous family. For an independent, reserved American, adjusting isn’t easy. She wants to fit in, but is culture shocked by the lack of privacy, the language barrier, and the Chinese aesthetic of renao (“hot & noisy”).
Life on Cheung Chau is overwhelming but also wondrous. Heather chronicles family celebrations, ancestor rituals, and the rich cycle of the local calendar: the Hungry Ghosts Festival, Chinese New Year, and the Bun Festival. Her descriptions of daily life and traditions are exquisite, seamlessly combining the insights of an ethnographer with the fascination of a curious newcomer who gradually transitions to part of the family. Ultimately, Heather’s experiences abroad make her realize what she has overlooked with her own family back in the United States, and she sets about making amends.
Moving between Hawaii, Hong Kong, and the continental US, Rabbit in the Moon is an honest, finely crafted meditation on intercultural marriage, acceptance, the importance of family, and finding the courage to follow your dreams.
- Independent Publishers Book Awards – Bronze Non-Fiction Winner
- International Book Awards – Finalist in Multicultural Nonfiction
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