Okay, let’s be straight here.  There’s a lot of connection in D J Pratt’s novel, “Prima Nocta.”  And by ‘connection’… I mean spicy hot sex.  Why?

At first, I thought it was maybe a little bit pandering, maybe a little bit gratuitous.  I thought I was reading an erotic novel.  And, yes, I was reading an erotic novel, but as I warmed to it, I realized that isn’t really the point.  The point of this novel is about human connection – the sensual flesh only being the conduit and the catalyst. I came to realize that the erotic moments serve the story to be the moment of true awakening of each of their spirits to the knowledge that they’ve found their soulmate – and when is the heart most open and the brain least analytical than in the act of love?

Each of the characters in this book – and there are twelve of them – come from different backgrounds, live in different ages and cultures, and bring varying levels of maturity to their experiences. From the charmingly naïve Linny to the proudly experienced Liv, from the mystical witch Léonide to the scientific literal Darius, from the inexperienced geisha Danji to the worldly madame Daphne: these people all experience their moments of true connection differently, but their hearts open the same.  Love is universal when stripped bare of society’s encumbrances and the intellect’s strictures.

This novel really made me think. The characters are so diverse – ages, backgrounds, maturity level, culture – and because of that, each one of them comes from a different perspective regarding the act of intimacy.  That is so poignant to all of us – each of us experience the same thing different ways, we see it differently, even if it’s exactly the same.

I really enjoyed the voicing of each of the characters – especially the way each recounts their passionate experience reflecting their biases about it.  From the poetic geisha to the bluntly frank serf’s daughter.  From the lusty Duke to the clinical scientist… each speaks in a different voice.  And each speaks honestly from their perspective: as a reader, I flowed down beautiful erotic rivers with some and, frankly, got uncomfortable with others: but in the end, the richness of that variety spoke to me at a deeper level about the vast difference in the human experience – and the beauty of those differences.

And then, I also was touched by the recognition that personal maturity – physical and emotional – changes so much from character to character. The young characters often awed by the experience: new, fresh, vibrant and titillating.  The more mature characters re-learning responses they thought were long forgotten, but find that they’re able to enjoy in new and lovely ways.  And the mature couples coming to a comfortable joining of the body as an enhancement to the wondrous joining of the mind.  We each experience love and sexuality differently from one another, but also differently from out past selves as we grow.

“Prima Nocta” by D J Pratt, through its rich storytelling, has something to teach each of us about the nature of our body and our soul. It is a call to understand the power of love and knowledge, to pursue our truths boldly, and to remain open to the mysterious forces that guide our destinies. Today, as we all are hungry for connection and understanding, Pratt’s narrative reminds us of the beauty that awaits us when we dare to be open to new experiences and to trust our heart in search of love and enlightenment.