Weekly Reader: A Twist of Karma by Wendy Wanner; A Sad, Terrifying, and Tender Novel About Grief, Enlightenment, and Karma Good and Bad

 Weekly Reader: A Twist of Karma by Wendy Wanner; A Sad, Terrifying, and Tender Novel About Grief, Enlightenment, and Karma Good and Bad

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Karma. Fate. What goes around comes around. It is a basic tenet found within every belief system. What you give comes back around to you for good or bad. You kill someone, you will get arrested (and possibly face the death penalty  or at least see life in prison depending on where you live.) You steal or embezzle money, expect to be caught and have to pay it back. Even if you were a bystander to such events and indirectly caused or were responsible for a wrong, you may experience feelings of guilt and blame for what you did or didn't do. 

That is the situation faced by Jennifer, a grief stricken artist and mother and the protagonist of A Twist of Karma by Wendy Wanner, a sad, terrifying, and ultimately tender novel about grief, karma, and achieving real Enlightenment.

Jennifer is grieving over the accidental drowning of her daughter, Suzie who died in a swimming pool while Jennifer turned away for a few minutes. Jennifer has been depressed and blaming herself for the loss, so she decides to take a trip to a yoga retreat in Sri Lanka to gain some perspective and heal from the loss.

While in Sri Lanka, she embraces Yoga and Buddhism, and makes some friends with the retreat goers and villagers, particularly with Dharshani, a local girl about her late daughter's age. Even though she faces a devastating loss at the retreat, she begins to feel comforted and at peace with herself.

When Jennifer returns to California, she brings with her a commitment to Yoga and Buddhism, and a return to her art. Those aren't the only things that Jennifer brings to California with her. Several women are mysteriously murdered and Jennifer has been receiving visions in her dreams and artwork of the murders. Not only that but she has been receiving anonymous phantom messages on her Facebook account that only she can see and access. 

What is it going on and what is Jennifer's link to this murder? Is it another grief stricken parent who envies what others have? Is it a stalker from Sri Lanka? Is there a supernatural entity trailing after them? What has Jennifer done to encourage its wrath and how can she undo it?

This is a complicated book. The best parts are when Jennifer is in Sri Lanka and reconnecting with her inner spirit. She clearly makes a transformation from a wounded grief stricken soul to a woman achieving inner peace. Wanner goes into great details about the various Yogic positions as well as the physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Jennifer also explores a deep connection with Buddhism and the Eightfold Path. She achieves a spiritual welcome to the religion.

The book also makes it clear that following a new spiritual path is not a quick and easy answer to your problems. At the retreat and even afterwards, Jennifer is still filled with grief for Suzie's death. She just learns to compartmentalize her grief and embrace life.

Many of these moments are best revealed in Jennifer's return to art and her relationship with others, particularly Dharshani. When she returns to California, many of her paintings reflect the bright colors, nature, and villagers in Sri Lanka in gratitude for what she learned and experienced.

Among the best passages in the book develop Jennifer's relationship with Dharshani. It helps that Dharshani is beyond sweet and adorable, but it becomes clear that the two develop a mother-daughter bond. Jennifer's daughter is dead and Dharshani's mother is sick, so the two fill a need for each other. These moments remind Jennifer that it's okay to reconnect with other people, especially children. That hurt may still be there, but could be cast aside to live again.

I am of two minds about the thriller subplot that awaits Jennifer upon her return to California. On the one hand, it has some suspenseful moments such as when Jennifer paints one of the crime scenes without any previous knowledge of it and her nightmares of Suzie surrounded by a dark presence. It plays into the whole idea of Karma and guilt and how it can play onto others not just the one who is personally affected (though usually metaphorically not physically).

On the other hand, the plot turns a woman's personal struggle with grief and karma into a hoary mystery thriller which takes away from Jennifer's internal conflicts. There are some distracting Whodunnit moments that would work well in other books, but not necessarily in this one. Also, the resolution somewhat plays into the theme of Karma, but the reason behind it is a bit cliche and involves a sudden return to Sri Lanka to resolve it.

A Twist of Karma is a brilliant book that is enlightening in its theme. Wendy Wanner deserves good karma for writing it.