A Journey with Elsa Cloud

Leila Hadley's "A Journey with Elsa Cloud" was a remarkable book. The reader is transported to India and to the depths of Ms. Hadley's soul. This was a poignant tale of a mother's attempts to connect with her estranged daughter after traveling to New Delhi. Along the way, the reader is treated to all the beauty of the country as well as the beauty within this determined mother. Her heart struggles to connect with a person she loves but couldn't be more different from. Veronica lives in self imposed poverty under the guise of a spiritual quest. She lives free of responsibilities or convention and has nothing but criticism and disdain for her mother's more traditional lifestyle. One is left to wonder how the two might ever find common ground but then you realize this story IS THE common ground. It's the journey, not the destination that matters and the attempts to reconcile and the lengths Ms. Hadley goes to achieve this endeavor are proof of her love. By the end of the book, I tired of Veronica's pontificating and holier than thou attitude and wondered if a reconciliation would ever be a good thing. Leila Hadley's writing is incredibly pictorial, full of emotion and completely absorbing. I recommend "A Journey with Elsa Cloud" as well as Ms. Hadley's other books, "Give Me the World" and "A Garden by the Sea". All three are treasures.

The attention to detail and description in this more-than-a-travel-journal was terrific. I usually don't enjoy long descriptions of places and things, but Hadley has a way of keeping it always interesting. The book easily shifts in time from the (then) present day travels to when her daughter, her traveling companion, was growing up. It's a fresh, honest look at the mother-daughter relationship as well. I recommend it highly, particularly if you are planning a trip to India.

Though I can be called biased, I believe that what I say about this book is true. Leila Hadley is, I believe, one of the greatest descriptive writers of our time. I know her personally, and despite what some may call a "haughty" writing style, I can confidently say that this book is a gem and true to her experiences. Every sentence leaps off the page with an explosive vitality and zest that shocks, delights and inspires. This is truly an exciting and delicious read.

A Journey with Elsa Cloud was such a beautifully written book and a real soul-searching journey. Leila Hadley's keen eye for detail and beauty is quite astonishing! I thought the book painted an incredibly vivid picture of India and it's magic

This book engrossed me for a variety of reasons. The language is splendid, exhuberant with a sensuous and nearly spiritual ability to evoke the look of things. The writing reminded me of "Beloved" because of its richness and the way memory permeates the present. The story is often painfully honest and will touch anyone who ever had a hard time dealing with a parent. One really feels that this is a human condition, LIFE, presented in such a rich way that our own lives are enriched by the book. This book can be savoured slowly like some of the delicious foods that it describes. A mother's anguish at her sometimes difficult relationship with her daughter leads Ms. Hadley to take stock of her life, and its meaning, of her character, its flaws and its triumphs. I consider this a masterpiece - a touch of Rabelais, a touch of Proust and Toni Morrison and Jung. And yet it is entirely original. Thank you and Brava.