Book Review for I Look to the Gentle Rain: A Book of Poems and Writing Prompts for the Aching Heart by Liz Newman
I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.
I Look to the Gentle Rain: A Book of Poems and Writing Prompts for the Aching Heart, by Liz Newman, is a poetry collection about Newman coping with her father’s death and finding comfort in the sorrow. The collection is separated into four sections. Section One: The Tender Ache described the raw emotions coursing through her when her father died. Section Two: The Ebbs and Flows illustrated her struggling to deal with her loss, with some days more manageable than others. Section Three: The Gentle Rain encourages poet to mourn, and to hold space for beloved memories, even if she can no longer recreate them. Section Four: The Hope That Grows reveals that even though Newman continues to feel her father’s presence, she also treasures him and connects with others who loved him just as much as she did. Alongside this collection are exercises that may support those who are experiencing grief.
Newman’s grief is palpable. The lyrics she uses accurately show the torrent of emotions that wash over someone when they lose a loved one. Despite that, she also knows to hold space for herself. I love the line, “I’m hurting, but I’m here.” This line alone means a lot to me, mainly because when a disaster, emotional or natural or otherwise, almost everyone will leave. It’s the ones who stay that you know are true friends. This, of course, includes being there for yourself, and letting yourself feel, even when it hurts to do so. Some people can’t do that, and that escape turns into an addiction (alcohol, work, eating, sex, etc.). But for those, like the poet, who can hold space for herself in her heart, they strengthen themselves and build resiliency. I feel there were times Newman doubted her ability to manage her grief, but she did.
What’s more, I like how realistic Newman is with her grief. Unbeknownst to many, grief doesn’t come in stages; sometimes a person will be angry, and then accept the death, before getting mad all over again. Sometimes the depression doesn’t fade. Sometimes the pain is just too unbearable you have to shove your feelings away and focus on something else, just until you’re ready to express them again without overwhelming yourself. The exercises towards the end of the book definitely helps with that.
As such, I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
