Lakshmi Kannan’s stories have a lyrical intensity. She has used the form of the short story with great skill, catching a character at an important juncture in her life which may be physical, emotional or psychological. By the end of the story, a shift in perspective takes place, in the protagonist, the reader, or both.
The short story is a more concentrated art and requires all the writer’s skill to grasp and sustain the reader’s attention while she holds up a slice of life to be examined, savoured and reflected upon. Lakshmi’s success, both as a writer and a translator, lied in mirroring the myriad facets of life and character, hinting at their infinite possibilities through a single event, a time of life or even a thought of the protagonist which reveals the past and the present and lets the mind travel to the future.

Kavita A. Sharma, “Life in Vignettes”, Review of India Gate and Other Stories, The Book Review, Vol XVII, No. 10, 1993