Canadian author Sheila Heti isn’t afraid to pick apart complex topics, as demonstrated in 2019’s critically-acclaimed Motherhood, which intelligently interrogated the social expectations of maternal desire, the importance of a woman’s autonomy and the rise of maternal ambivalence with such elegance. Now in her new novel Pure Colour (Harvill Secker), she’s tackling another heavy subject: grief. We first meet its protagonist, art critic student Mira, at a point where life has lost its spark. Everything is lacklustre, until her beloved father passes. On her journey of grieving, she welcomes the idea of spirituality, believing he lives on within her and develops a sudden appreciation for nature – which hilariously and oddly leads to her entering a leaf, wondering what it’s like to be one.
“Though the back and forth between the narration of existential chatter and Mira’s storyline isn’t for everyone, Heti’s writing is wonderfully entertaining,” says Stylist Loves writer Kiran Meeda. “While the longing for her father is painfully obvious, it’s the journey she takes to see the glass half-full that is a treat to read. Expect to take in the work of a true wordsmith, as Heti turns something deeply saddening into a natural process that has many brighter notes. A conclusion isn’t really the point of this novel, but more so the discovery of joy that life and the natural world can offer us. It’s hard to be optimistic when such tragedy occurs, but there’s profound moments in this novel that will leave you suspended in thought.” £16.98, Bookshop.org