Book Reviews
Book Reviews
Love, Loss, New Life Book Reviews
Barbara Z
Beautiful poems and valuable resource
Wonderful collection of poems and musings that capture the essence of the author’s soulful journey through the experiences of letting go, renewal, and healing while navigating through loss. Her words resonate with my own personal experiences, as well as with my experience working as a psychotherapist to help others gently face and grow through the depths and heights of their grief. The prompts for writing help guide the reader through the languaging of one’s emotions to find resiliency, hope and rebuilding. This book is a valued resource I will recommend to both clients and friends.
In her unique poetry style, including sketches, the author chronicles her courageous and inspiring journey through grief after the death of her husband. Every poem reaches into some aspect of her pain and disorientation in the early days following his death, and poem by poem, day by day, she shows you what her strong and faithful heart could do as it mourned the loss of her soul-mate. You witness her courageous deep dive within where she finds her own center and how this allowed her to came through this devastating loss with grace, love, wisdom, and even joy. I loved reading the author’s “Musings” at the end of each chapter and also her thoughtful questions for the reader’s own reflections on their own experiences of loss. You will thoroughly be blessed by reading “Love, Loss, and New Life”, whether you’ve had a significant loss in your life or whether you just appreciate the great value of being invited into the intimate spaces of another’s open, honest, and authentic heart. Either way, or both, you will be glad you read how new life is entirely possible, because it is, as the author confirms, within your own heart.
Words That Resonate with My Soul
Karen's poetry and story resonate with my heart and soul. As a widower myself, I can sympathize with her words and the echo of love lost. Her poetry touches and expresses the journey of grieving and loss but also paints a picture of hope in the world. It is so very hard to express loss and help others along the way. Karen does more than just share from her loss, she helps us through our journey, a guide through grief. If you need a voice and friend, Karen's words will graciously be there with you, making straight a difficult path.
Ken L. Hagler, author of "Life Sucks Seek God."
Wayne Sherwood
The poems and reflective musings resonate with my experience of losing my wife of 50 years. I was totally lost, but I knew I couldn't spend the rest of my life permanently immersed in grief. The message in these poems is that grief is real and personal. However if you shine the light on your grief and give it its due, it will be transcended. The writing prompts are invaluable in helping to move through the process toward happiness and even joy.
A roadmap for dealing with grief
Karen Skillings has skillfully created a small book of wisdom for handling grief. She weaves together
personal experience, poetry, musings, sketches and writing prompts to help the reader understand how to nurture themselves during the aftermath of a devastating loss. This book is indispensable for those dealing with grief by providing guidance and hope through a rocky journey.
Beautiful words from a beautiful lady. Very inciteful! I find myself relating with the sections “Shipwrecked”, “Entwined”, and “Your Words”. It describes me as I continue to work through the loss of my spouse a year ago from the dreadful Covid virus. I pray that I can find the peace described on this journey.
Lovely poems to speak to grief
I loved these poems, being a widow myself. There are prompts to write my own poems too. I will be revisiting this book often as I write my own poems about my grief and recovery in my journal. A good way to get my grief out so I can heal.
This book connected me to my grieving...
My loss is recent, I am still finding my way. This poetry has helped me connect to the feelings. Thank You Karen. This was a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to a lost love and a journey to healing and the ability to love again. Mostly I am awash in tears but that’s fine, because I know that there is light ahead.
A raw, honest journey shared in beautiful verse
I have often pondered how one goes on to find joy in living again after great loss. This collection of poems brings one on a very personal journey into the depths of pain and then self discovery through writing. I recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with loss that shakes you to your core.
Elizabeth Wiebe
Unlike so much poetry, this book of poems is very well written.
I liked how accessible the poems are. They are good poems and in spite of the difficult subject matter they are easy to read, almost like a good song. And the sketches just make the book. Thanks Karen.
David Webber
Very personal thoughts with universal themes, relatable and the imagery is beautiful.
Everyone has experienced loss, on a large or small level. The theme and the way the author walks us through her experience seems so like real life. Grief and recovery is not a straight line, it rises and falls in waves. You felt this and it is very relatable.
The beautiful and vulnerable poetry in this book is so heartfelt and touching. The beautiful pencil sketches add to the gentle beauty of his incredible book. Raw and gripping.
We all have experienced loss and grief at some point in our lives. But the degree of recovery may vary with each individual, the journey will be different from one person to another. This book is a presentation Karen’s journey and how she dealt with grief and loss. She draws a clear road map for anyone who is going through loss to adapt to their personal circumstances. The book helps you to move from loss to not just recovery but also get you thriving. And the poems are simply nice to read. For transparency, I got an ARC of this book.
I really loved how powerful the poems were in reflecting the author’s journey from joy to grief; to healing; and a return to joy. The journal prompts encouraged reflection and application to one’s personal journey. A great tool for someone dealing with loss.
Very insightful. Highly recommend for people who are dealing with grief at this stage of life.
klecount
I have begun to read the book and love it so. Your Musings give the poems even more depth. Thank you, thank you for publishing this!
Beth Day/Sandy Stewart
Wow. Very, very powerful. The poems moved me. That doesn’t usually happen to me with poetry. I think the questions you put forth were very intuitive and can be helpful tools for grief and healing. I suspect sometime down the road I will need to answer those questions for myself. I also believe writing is very healing.
Chuck Beer
I’m probably not the best judge of poetry, but I have to say WOW! I loved this in its entirety! I will definitely be sharing this with others in my 'TRIBE'!