Sunday 6 November 2016

The Immortal Life of Piu Piu by Bianca Gubalke


Set in a land of shifting realities – the Western Cape coast of South Africa, between Nature’s paradise and a ruthless world – and based on the heartbreaking true story of a human-animal bond, this magical journey reveals how one powerful girl and the wild creatures who are her constant guides, join in the ultimate adventure: to unlock the mystery of life after death.
Goodreads description 

The Immortal Life of Piu Piu is listed as Metaphysical & Visionary on Amazon and that is very much what it is. The book aspires to make the reader discover "how your feelings and emotions reveal the secret of your own life. What you are not the vibration of remains invisible to you." to quote the Amazon description.  

The novel opens with the central character and her companions on a spiritual plane before she and they embark on another round of existence. As you will realize, the story is predicated on the concept of reincarnation. The narration then shifts to the story of Piu Piu - an Egyptian goose adopted as a chick by Pippa, a feisty and spiritual young girl. The story is populated with humans and talking animals, for this is a world in which there is communication between all living beings. 

It seems to me that the philosophy of the novel causes some problems with narrative tension in the book. I would have preferred it if the opening scene had been omitted, as it meant that I approached the story already knowing that the characters were and would be reborn. The concept could have been either slowly or at the dramatic ending.

The Western Cape setting of the novel is beautifully portrayed and it strikes me that perhaps in such an environment it is easier to feel a oneness with nature and the parallel nature of time (Pippa also feels the presence and communicates with her dead ancestor) than in more urban environments. It is a oneness that also accepts the presence of death and rebirth, which is symbolized by the terrible bushfire that occurred when Pippa's mother was heavily pregnant with her daughter.

Over on the Magic Realism Books Facebook group there have been several discussions about how magic-realism writers and readers often have a sense of mysticism, although not all writers are as transparent about it in their writings as Bianca Gubalke. The novel's mysticism (like magic realism as a genre) will not appeal to all readers, but those readers that are open to it can look forward to more books in Dance Between Worlds Series.

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair review.

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