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Reviewed by Doreen Chombu for Readers' Favorite
The Finder's Keeper by Leon Kildea is a fantasy drama that covers many years and family generations. In the modern day, Edda and her grandfather, Don, discover a wooden chest in a hidden gold mine in south-eastern Australia. Inside are a gold ring, a letter, and a diary from a man named Olaf. She is fascinated with the diary, which gives a series of magical riddles pointing to a quest to find a magical sled, with cultural significance and a promise of prosperity. Generations have passed, concealing it from evildoers, and now it calls to Edda. She sets out on her quest with Finn, her closest friend and soulmate, heading deep into the snowy Australian Alps. But they do not have the mountains to themselves. Mysterious men, tied to the lineage of a greedy man named Vansi, are tracking her and the sled. They know its story, and want it for selfish reasons.
The Finder’s Keeper isn’t just a story about searching for a magical sled. It digs into finding purpose, what actually matters, and what you fight to keep close in life. Split into three parts, it pulls you into the lives of all kinds of people: Vikings from the north, the Stórmenska—who keep their old ways alive, tucked away from the world—and modern Australians, just trying to keep up as everything shifts around them. It highlights the importance of passing down traditions through storytelling and holding on to kindness and generosity. Leon Kildea shows us how greed has ravaged nature and brought a disconnection between man and his environment. The story weaves in themes of community, culture, and adventure. Edda’s journey isn’t just a trek through the wild—it’s a dive into her own fears and doubts, especially when she’s forced to face her fear of heights. You can see her grow and stumble and find her courage, and it’s easy to see a bit of yourself in her. The story feels realistic, but there’s a bit of magic in there too, which keeps things interesting. I loved reading it. My biggest takeaway from it is that prosperity is not just about material possessions and money. It is about a legacy of peace, love, kindness, and community.
