Official Review: From Parkinson’s To A Poet

[Christina O Phillips]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "From Parkinson’s To A Poet" by Melody Eddins.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Poetry is powerful. Poetry is passion on paper. Poetry can be therapeutic. But most of all, poetry is personal. In Melody Eddins’ book From Parkinson’s to a Poet, her poems are all these things.

From Parkinson’s to a Poet is a collection of 36 poems divided unevenly into four sections: faith, family, creation/nature, and special people and places. Eddins was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2011, and because of the disease, had to retire four years after her diagnosis. According to her biography, she began to write poetry as a way to practice her language and vocabulary skills.

The poems cover topics perfectly described by their section titles. Eddins took experiences from her own life, stories she heard from others, and the experiences of people in her life and used them as inspiration. While most of Eddins’ poems use long lines, there are some that use shorter lines. She also employs the standard end-line rhyme in all of the poems though at times she throws in a few slant rhymes.

While I enjoyed most of the poems, sometimes the rhyme scheme made the lines and poems predictable. There were other times when the poem could have been written so that the reader could dig out a message for themselves, but Eddins instead chose to flat out tell the reader what the message was. As I said before, poetry is personal and does not always adhere to the usual rules of punctuation. Because of this, I tried to overlook anything that could be considered as an error, but there was the rare spacing issuing, one misspelled word, and a poem that I felt shifted too much in its verb tense.

I rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars. This is a very subjective rating. I loved the poems about creation/nature and special people and places more than the others. Someone who likes poetry, especially about faith, family, and life would enjoy this collection. My two favorite poems (“Silence” and “Walking with Parkinson’s Disease”) are told from the perspective of a person who is different from others and tries to help readers understand them better. I would have liked to read more poems like those two. I think that this book appeals to those who like poetry and also to current Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers. I did enjoy this collection, and I am glad to have had the chance to read it.

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From Parkinson’s To A Poet
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Like Christina O Phillips's review? Post a comment saying so!

[NL Hartje]

This seems to be an interesting collection. Did you have a favorite section out of the four?

[kandscreeley]

I love that the author wrote these to help with her language and vocabulary. I think that would be great for Alzheimer's patients as well! Sounds like a great collection! Thanks so much for sharing with us.

[Christina O Phillips]

This seems to be an interesting collection. Did you have a favorite section out of the four?

It would be a tie between Creation/Nature and Special People and Places. Those two sections held my favorite poems of the collection.

[Christina O Phillips]

I love that the author wrote these to help with her language and vocabulary. I think that would be great for Alzheimer's patients as well! Sounds like a great collection! Thanks so much for sharing with us.

Yes! I think it might help people with other conditions as well. My stepfather is recovering from a stroke and has aphasia.

It really is a good collection. I hope you read it.

[KFree_Reads]

This was a very thorough and fair review. I like this book already and definitely see myself reading it. I really like the title of the collection. It's always wonderful to see people spin unfavorable situations into something inspiring. I'll also read this collection because I love poetry especially the ones that are personal. Great job on the review!

[prettysmart]

Hmmm, seems like a book that targets patients suffering from chronic illnesses and caregivers. Also to help a wider audience accept and perceive the intended meaning behind one's ailment. And generally teaches people to exercise gratitude. Admirable review

[Christina O Phillips]

Hmmm, seems like a book that targets patients suffering from chronic illnesses and caregivers. Also to help a wider audience accept and perceive the intended meaning behind one's ailment. And generally teaches people to exercise gratitude. Admirable review

Thank you.
There are also poems about her family and her faith.

[KitabuKizuri]

It is awesome to know that the author expresses herself through poetry despite her diagnosed ailment.

[Christina O Phillips]

It is awesome to know that the author expresses herself through poetry despite her diagnosed ailment.

Yes, I found that impressive, too.