Review of Abundant blessings from a broken soul
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- Diana Lowery
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Review of Abundant blessings from a broken soul
The lengthy title and subtitle offer clues to the subject matter of this poetry collection. The cover photograph is also revealing because the face of the author is not shown. Abundant Blessings From A Broken Soul: A Poetic Journey From Anguish to Praise by Marissa Pennington is accompanied by haunting photographs by Rebecca Danielle. The collaborative effort of the two artists gives readers an opportunity to connect in both mediums.
The 26 poems appear chronologically as Pennington navigates her recovery from depression and other mental illnesses. There are 157 pages, but half of them are blank and are provided for readers to record their answers to introspective questions relating to a particular poem. Each poem is accompanied by a short narrative about the poet's inspiration for the piece. For instance, "Worth Far More'' explains how it is much easier to have compassion for others than it is to be that way towards ourselves.
In addition to being introduced by a photograph and followed by a short narrative, the poet includes a biblical scripture relevant to the theme of the poem. These come from both the new and the old testaments. Pennington, who is involved in the ministry at her church, gives credit to God for her recovery. Because this is her personal journey, she is describing what worked for her. Her message is not intended to be a mandate for others to follow.
Judging these poems on their literary merit would be unfair. Most of them rhyme and sometimes the rhymes are forced and awkward. At the beginning of the book, the author writes, "Actually, I don't even like to write and here I am with a book of poems. Only God . . ." Since Pennington believes that her poems were inspired by God, I will leave the criticism up to someone more heavenly qualified than I am.
Although this book deals with an individual's emotional pain, I feel that the book could also help anyone suffering from chronic physical pain. The temptation to be free from pain through death is strong in both cases. The poem "Fascination" talks about surviving through travails.
Choosing a rating is difficult. The positive of this collection is its honesty. The negative is the literary quality of the poems. There were no errors. The photographs were exceptional. I like the concept of including blank pages for reflection. The positives outweigh the negatives. I am giving Pennington and God a five out of five. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to overcome any kind of pain. Readers will be inspired by the author's road to recovery.
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Abundant blessings from a broken soul
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- Patty Allread
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- Diana Lowery
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The author has indeed focused on her healing. Thanks for the comment.Patty Allread wrote: ↑15 Mar 2023, 10:46 I like the idea of blank pages for readers to write their thoughts. Though it sounds like the book is not a literary masterpiece, the author seems to have offered a complete expression of her journey with photos and anchored by meaningful scripture.
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