In Search of Leo - Anitha Krishnan

5/5 stars

A delightful short read, breezy and deep, exquisite writing and soulful expression

The first thing that came to my mind once I finished reading the book (and several times during the course of reading it too) is the thought that the author dredged up parts of her soul, through all the layers of skin and bone and mind and heart, and laid those soul pieces out on paper, neatly arranged and masterfully rendered, through the fascinating characters of Heidi the protagonist and the supporting cast of the gypsy, the old witch, the silver fox, the dream pedlar and more. With a depth of perception of astatine rarity, adamantine sharpness, and floral beauty, Krishnan weaves words, feelings and revelations into a tapestry with multiple glaring and subtle shades.

With a surpirse twist ending, this is the story of the journey a young girl Heidi who sets out to search for her lost dog and ends up finding herself in more ways than one. If you’re looking for a riveting story packed with action, complicated story lines, thrill and suspense, then this novella isn’t for you. But if you’re on a journey (like so many of us are) within yourself, and if you want to indulge in a simple story with beauty and soul revelations peeking through every chapter, if you crave vivid and colourful descriptions of the inner and outer world and narratives that make you want to re-read every second sentence because of the sheer exquisite language and thought process that went into writing it, and if you want to just soak in some genuinely good, artful and masterful writing, read this book. It’s delightful.