A somber but beautiful collection of letters that teach profound lessons in a delicate way.
A stirring collection of letters written by a grieving father to his late son, who died of a drug overdose.
Debut author Dison’s son James died in 2005 at the age of 34 after struggling with substance abuse for most of his adult life. After sharing the details of that tragic day, the author steps back in time to James’ childhood, reflecting on the tender moments that they shared as he raised him as a single parent. Then came the “stormy times” of James’ adolescence: “As you drifted further in to the drug culture, I drifted into despair and helplessness. You and I drifted further and further apart.” In James’ adulthood, a combination of drug addiction and mental illness gripped him time and time again. Despite this, Dison writes, his son always “kept looking for and finding ways…to climb out of that deep hole” by repeatedly seeking treatment until he could do so no longer. Throughout the author’s reflections, there’s a persistent longing for connection with his son, both to reaffirm the affectionate ties they’d developed over a lifetime and also to make amends for past regrets. But Dison also carefully considers his audience, turning his highly personal reflections into a straightforward chronological and thematic storyline. His words subtly implore readers to cherish their own loved ones, and his statements of regret often serve as admonitions to those facing similar circumstances: “I wish so much that I had displayed more compassion for you, and less judgment based on my limited understanding.” Readers will be touched by the author’s authenticity, which often shines through: “I was challenged by you, proud of you, pleased by you, exasperated by you, thrilled by you, annoyed by you, energized by you, exhausted by you, and the list could go on and on.”
A somber but beautiful collection of letters that teach profound lessons in a delicate way.Pub Date: April 27, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4787-8205-6
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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