Her Eight Limbs of Love

REVIEWED BY: STUFF.CO.NZ - 12th May 2015 Visionary fiction, like most book classifications, is a catch-all phrase to describe works of fiction that might normally fall under the Mind Body Spirit umbrella. In contemporary times, Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet would neatly sit alongside Richard Bach’s Illusions and Dan Millman’s Way of The Peaceful Warrior and James Redfield’s Celestine Prophecy. These are books with ＂visionary＂ themes, often based on spiritual principles woven into narrative form. New Zealand author Louise Beker staked her claim in the genre with ’The Bright New Dawn’, and with her second book ’Her Eight Limbs Of Love’ furthers her credentials with a sharp and insightful tale-twister based around Patanjali’s yoga sutras. One of her obvious skills as a writer is in character development where the strengths and weaknesses of yoga teacher Sasha, her bestie Fiona and a pod of students are intertwined with the various aspects of each sutra. There’s an intriguing sub-plot going on that involves a guru dispensing universal wisdom (detailed with just the right amount of humour and insight) which deftly dovetails with the end that the specific yoga sutras are geared towards. Whereas the message is what gives many visionary fiction books their character, Beker’s characters give Her Eight Limbs Of Love its message - one that is just as powerful and insightful.