Letters to Leonardo

Dee White (author)

Walker Books, Australia: 2009; 246pp

ISBN: 9781921150883

Genre: realistic fiction

Issues: family, friendship, identity, mental illness, trust, truth

When he turns fifteen, Matt receives a birthday card from his mother - which would be lovely, except that he thought his mother was dead. He'd been told that by his father. What's a boy supposed to do when the world as he's understood it is suddenly turned upside down and back to front? And if she wasn't dead, why hasn't his mother had anything to do with him since he was five? Where does the truth lie? Or are the lies a form of truth?

Angry, confused, hurt and at the same time desperately hopeful that maybe now he can have a ‘proper' mother and a ‘real' family - childlike needs and ideas of what those things are - Matt goes looking for her. Surely if she contacted him, even if she didn't give an address, she must want him to find her? As an act of love? Matt is delighted to find that his mother is an artist, just as he longs to be despite his father's disapproval. But his newly found mother acts rather oddly. She makes an appointment for him to visit but then won't open the door, although he can hear her moving around inside her house. She is warm and loving - then cold and distant. She is sad and regretful - then cheerful and full of plans. Matt's once-stable world is rocking wildly under his feet and he finds himself unable to concentrate in school, arguing with his best mate, and resenting his protective, loving father. How can such a wonderful thing as reconnecting to his lost mother create such incredible chaos?

As part of a school assignment - most of which he doesn't hand in because it's just too painful and personal - Matt writes his feelings and discoveries to another artist: Leonardo Da Vinci. The novel is written in first-person, so the narrative is very much from Matt's perspective, but the letters to Da Vinci give the reader a greater insight into the depth of his personal journey. White has kept the cast small and this allows the reader to see Matt's interactions and relationships with the few people who are truly significant to him. The dominant role is that of his father, with whom Matt normally gets on well but whom he has to learn to see as a person, rather than a role - and a person who loved his mother and was deeply hurt by her. Another useful voice is Matt's best mate, the son of a psychologist. Troy's role is sometimes a touch contrived, as he is used to ‘educate' Matt about mental illness. While not completely unbelievable, the dialogue doesn't always ring entirely true for a couple of teenage boys. As a whole, however, this is a powerful, thought-provoking and interesting novel.

For those who have no experience with mental illness, Letters to Leonardo gives great insight into the painful rollercoaster of emotions that can be experienced by those involved with such things. For those who already know the rollercoaster, this novel is an expression and validation of their reality. It seems likely that this powerful novel may end up being used for class study but advanced readers may find it an excellent introduction to the more complex works of adult literature.

Warning: death of significant character; sensitive readers will find this a disturbing and troubling book but it's still worth reading.