Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Contemporary Family Life

  • LASTING, LEAVING, LEFT by Robin Dyke, a poetry collection

    LASTING, LEAVING, LEFT by Robin Dyke, a poetry collection

    Every experience is a brush stroke on our life’s canvas. When our life ends, the artwork is completed; what will we leave behind for the world to see? Robin Dyke’s collection of poetry Lasting, Leaving, Left penetrates the deeper questions of what it means to live: Will I make a lasting impression on the world? How has the world made a lasting impression on me?

    Dyke’s works are the perfect balance of poetic eloquence with modern language. Lasting, Leaving, Left will engage and inspire poets and non-poets who seek to reflect and question their lives.

    Dyke’s book is organized into three sections: Lasting, Leaving, and Left. The first section, Lasting, groups together poetry focused on memories or concepts that have emotionally influenced each poem’s speaker. Such ideas ranged from recollections of a deceased grandfather, to the relationship between war and humanity.  

    The next section, Leaving, discusses the different stages people go through in their lives. One of the most unique poems I found in this section described a person playing a pinball game. The individual goes through several strategies to win the game, but once it is over, a new game begins. As time passes, we constantly leave one moment to enter another.

    The last section of the book, Left, introduces the notion of what people have left behind when they are gone. The final poems of this collection leave the reader to question him or herself about how they live their lives. With every poem, the speaker is thoughtful and gently pushes the reader to contemplate such profound questions.

    While the poetry incorporated numerous literary devices, the level of diction is perfect for readers who are not die-hard poetry lovers. Dyke’s poems are inviting to read, but they still leave the audience with wonder and opportunity to reflect upon their own life experiences.

    Nonetheless, poetry fanatics will appreciate the simple, yet thought-provoking ideas Dyke presents. Pretentious vocabulary would only overshadow the rich and naked moments of life that his poetry illustrates.

    Lasting, Leaving, Left allows individuals to find themselves reflected in poetry and use it as a lens to look into their own way of living. Readers can relate to the moments when they have endured losing a loved one, felt true love, or wondered where their life is going. Poetry is intended to connect us with the different facets of humanity. It is a vital form of expression that brings awareness to our intellectual and emotional selves.

    Dyke calls himself an “imagined dream caster” and that “poetry is a new expression of his work as a consultant and educator.” The final notes by Dyke point out that with the three Ls of this book, there is one final L to consider: Living. Through every leg of life’s journey, we need to embrace each moment to the fullest.

    Dyke’s poetry offered me a different perspective of living; life is a fluid cycle that is beautiful in the pain and pleasure it brings. Lasting, Leaving, Left is a poetically pristine read for individuals searching for another viewpoint on how they live their lives, with a dash of alliteration and rhyme.

     

  • An Editorial Review of “Prepare to Come About” by Christine Wallace

    An Editorial Review of “Prepare to Come About” by Christine Wallace

    Christine Wallace writes with great clarity and honesty–and at times, with humor–about weathering the highs and lows of navigating family, career, and love in her gripping memoir Prepare to Come About.

    Wallace chronicles her wildly successful perinatal business that brought her accolades and awards for business achievement, along with celebrity radio and TV interviews, and other accouterments that come with the lifestyle. As the business garnered awards, it began assuming a life of its own.

    Christine’s professional life skyrockets, while her family life plummets. Christine’s confesses to her readers that her children were often left to fend without their own mother as she worked to help other women become one and the conflict that she internalized. She unflinching shares the other not-so-bright sides that sometimes accompany commercial professional achievement: teenage children in crisis, endless exhausting days, family pressures, work demands, and, seemingly, black holes of chaos.

    Her full-throttle lifestyle comes to a grinding halt at the zenith of her success beginning with the day she received an award at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Summit from President George W. Bush. The sharp contrasts between motherhood and professional accomplishment culminate during the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. —thousands of miles away, one of her children must be admitted to the emergency room.

    As the economic tides turn, uncontrollable events broadside her business causing a devastating professional aftershock that amplifies her personal heartaches. Christine and her family struggle with a loss of control of everything in their lives. Christine struggles with her loss of identity as a successful professional, a role model, a caring mother, and a supportive spouse while she battles with the economic recession, personal depression, and, worst of all, her own loss of trust in herself and her capabilities.

    The fractured family makes an unorthodox choice that pivots them all into unfamiliar waters. Their lifeline comes in the form of a tall ship named Zodiac and its enigmatic captain. Life or death challenges and unforeseen moments of wonder and awe await Christine and her family. As they venture forth together in this new venture, the family members reconnect and rebuild their lives.

    This memoir illuminates the struggles and chaotic lives that many contemporary families are challenged with and then goes further. It inspires readers to look beyond society’s conventional solutions and rationalizations to plot their own course.

    Prepare to Come About by Christine Wallace is a story that restores faith in the strength and love of a family and will reaffirm your belief that a life lived on one’s own terms is the truest meaning of “achievement.”