These poems, grounded in the present moment, expertly balance individual and collective experiences.
Foley’s latest collection of poetry searches for beauty, hope, and love in the face of personal and global tribulations.
In the title poem, the speaker observes the pastoral beauty of starlit winter snow while ruminating on the warming climate that will one day melt it away. She wonders, as she “sled[s] and snowshoe[s] through cold winter days,” whether her well-meaning actions—composting, recycling, eating a meat-free diet—are enough to “please” the Earth and “ease the anxiety” of the young people who will inherit the planet. She notes that “oblivion” lies ahead but, as suggested through steady tercets, seems to have made a kind of peace with that; perhaps she trusts younger activists of the world to take over in her generation’s stead. Though eclectic in subject matter, many poems in this collection echo the titular entry in their balance of the personal with the global, often with the Covid-19 pandemic looming in the background. In turn, the speaker tends to hold the good and the bad at once, describing what she sees in affectingly clear language, as if she were relaying scenes from her life to a manufacturer of peculiarly realistic snow globes. In “The Croissant,” homemade pastries with jam are eaten on “days made tasteless by isolation.” In “Corona Spring,” it snows outside the window while the speaker’s wife, a central figure in the collection, waits for her next cancer treatment. The speaker’s wisdom and positivity grow more palpable from reading the poems in succession; she’s well acquainted with weariness, grief, and loneliness, yet she never fails to point out the beautiful thing that’s shining in the corner. Readers wary of unsolicited comfort from strangers can rest assured that this collection doesn’t fancy itself a salve for the bereaved. It may, however, inspire readers to take stock of the things for which they’re grateful.
These poems, grounded in the present moment, expertly balance individual and collective experiences.Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2024
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 78
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet final word from an actor who leaves a legacy of compassion and kindness.
The late actor offers a gentle guide for living with more purpose, love, and joy.
Mixing poetry, prescriptive challenges, and elements of memoir, Heche (1969-2022) delivers a narrative that is more encouraging workbook than life story. The author wants to share what she has discovered over the course of a life filled with abuse, advocacy, and uncanny turning points. Her greatest discovery? Love. “Open yourself up to love and transform kindness from a feeling you extend to those around you to actions that you perform for them,” she writes. “Only by caring can we open ourselves up to the universe, and only by opening up to the universe can we fully experience all the wonders that it holds, the greatest of which is love.” Throughout the occasionally overwrought text, Heche is heavy on the concept of care. She wants us to experience joy as she does, and she provides a road map for how to get there. Instead of slinking away from Hollywood and the ridicule that she endured there, Heche found the good and hung on, with Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford starring as particularly shining knights in her story. Some readers may dismiss this material as vapid Hollywood stuff, but Heche’s perspective is an empathetic blend of Buddhism (minimize suffering), dialectical behavioral therapy (tolerating distress), Christianity (do unto others), and pre-Socratic philosophy (sufficient reason). “You’re not out to change the whole world, but to increase the levels of love and kindness in the world, drop by drop,” she writes. “Over time, these actions wear away the coldness, hate, and indifference around us as surely as water slowly wearing away stone.” Readers grieving her loss will take solace knowing that she lived her love-filled life on her own terms. Heche’s business and podcast partner, Heather Duffy, writes the epilogue, closing the book on a life well lived.
A sweet final word from an actor who leaves a legacy of compassion and kindness.Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781627783316
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Viva Editions
Review Posted Online: Feb. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
A far-reaching, mostly persuasive guide that seeks to change how people approach inner challenges.
Ion and Irimia’s self-help book presents seven principles that can alter readers’ lives.
Many people face internal roadblocks that keep them from succeeding. While therapy remains a common treatment option, it can take years to make progress. Fast Transformation Protocols, the method advocated in Ion and Irimia’s guide, is the opposite, only requiring a minor time commitment. The seed for FTP was Ion’s first company, a recruitment agency for corporations in Transylvania, Romania. On a trip with a colleague named Sara, Ion freed the woman from the perception of abandonment, making Sara understand that benefits exist in even the most negative situations. FTP primarily operates by asking many “weird questions” and utilizing seven universal laws: those of duality, reflection, transformation, synchronicity, eristic (i.e., argumentative) escalation, order, and fractals. The laws mingle concepts from science, philosophy, and psychology. Just a few of the numerous examples the authors discuss regarding the law of duality alone include the Babylonians’ concept of celestial cycles; the Chinese version, yin and yang; and, in biology, the balance of cell birth with cell death. Another inspiration is Carl Jung’s exploration of coincidences (the law of synchronicity) and archetypes (the law of fractals). Added to the mix is a helping of spirituality. The authors ask readers, when they’re contemplating life challenges, to consider sacred contracts, an idea that “before birth, your soul carefully chooses the exact context and circumstances it will incarnate into.” The ambitious guide is written in Ion’s voice; she’s a sensitive presence who seems to genuinely aspire to help others. She recalls that as a child, “I pulled my emotions inward and packed them tightly inside me, like delicate things wrapped in newspaper.” Yet this delicacy is balanced by a love of organization and rationality, reflected in this well-structured and mostly convincing book. Intriguing case studies demonstrate how the laws the authors discuss apply to real situations. But some readers will question the success rate. Using one of the seven universal laws is always shown as succeeding, although perhaps not immediately.
A far-reaching, mostly persuasive guide that seeks to change how people approach inner challenges.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2025
ISBN: 9798993098203
Page Count: 313
Publisher: Inspired Life Circle LLC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 6, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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