When a granduncle comes to stay and the family’s vacation plans are ruined 11-year-old Poorva is not pleased. It turns out however that the little girl manages to go on a vacation after all— a vacation into the past...

Her granduncle, Swami Thatha— a kindly, old man— is something of a David Copperfield in the world of illusionists. He takes Poorva on a magical journey to the past that traces the lives of 12 saint poets called ‘Azhvars’.

What follows is a ringside view of the miracles and devotion of these great saints along with lip-smacking South-Indian meals and talking animals as part of the entertainment package on the trip.

Apart from the freshness and life that Lakshmi Devnath brings to these stories, there is a deliberate attempt to educate the reader and on some level the latter perceives this. However the journey is much too enjoyable to stop and worry about being duped into a history lesson.

Even if one emerges from these pages steeped in information there is also the satisfaction of having read a good tale. If not for an educated and clever revival such as this, the story of the Azhvars might remain obscure in today’s practical, material world.