Pure Colour

Heti’s (Motherhood) latest book is part personal conversation and part philosophical treatise, examining emotions from joy to melancholy. The grief experienced at the loss of a beloved parent and how that loss affects other relationships is explored through main character Mira. The experimental nature of this work includes Mira finding herself in a leaf that is also hosting the spirit of her dead father and the metaphysical conversation that takes place between them. Beautiful writing with a lyrical quality makes this an easy listen, but it’s also easy to lose track. Heti is not the strongest narrator, but her presentation sweeps you along even if you aren’t quite understanding what is happening. The plot isn’t the point, and the revelations are found in smaller bits, as in the way a few sentences are strung together and what they say about life. The writing is philosophical, metaphorical, and biblical. It invites you to think, but the audio doesn’t give you the break needed to let your mind wander.