Review of Thoughts From The Oak

[Ivana Tomaš]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Thoughts From The Oak" by Audrey Colasanti.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Thoughts from the Oak by Audrey Colasanti is a stirring collection of poems in which the author contemplates the challenges of her children's illnesses. Colasanti writes about motherhood, worry, anxiety and various misfortunes that befell her, her children and her family. Most of the poems are written allegorically and with free verse. The writing style does not follow the usual grammatical rules; there are no capital letters in the verses, no punctuation marks, and everything seems like a stream of thought. All poems are imbued with deep emotions and experiences of the author and primarily her experiences that were caused by her children's illnesses.

This book is a perfect and touching collection of poems for every lover of thought-provoking literature. Colasanti writes in a very distinctive manner, and her articulation is very lyrical and vivid. I like that she uses a lot of stylistic figures, primarily similes and metaphors, but also various epithets that perfectly depict the state in which she, her family, and especially her children find themselves. The descriptions of pain are particularly profound. I found the poems describing other children in the hospital and their parents with different views of their children's illnesses interesting and stirring. It is unsettling how different people have different opinions about how children should deal with their illnesses and pains. In addition, the author also mentions her relationship with her husband and how their intimacy suffers a little because of their situation. I believe many parents in a similar position can identify with this. In addition, I would like to single out one poem, "ransom." Here, the disease is shown as a child kidnapper; it perfectly illustrates the agony of the parents of sick children. Unfortunately, this somewhat ghastly comparison shows well the condition of both the parents and the sick children and all the difficult circumstances in which they find themselves. Also, the book contains several specific poems in which an oak tree speaks in the first person. I enjoy how the oak's perspective of its surroundings and inner monologues are shown.

Honestly, there is nothing in the book that I didn't like. It is touching and talks about an important and heartbreaking topic. Likewise, I didn't come across any objective errors. The only thing that might be a bit unusual or abstract for some readers is the writing without punctuation marks and the titles of the poems that are not capitalized. However, I appreciate this concept because it further contributes to the rawness of emotions and the characteristic current of thought on which this book is based.

All things considered, I give this collection of poems 5 out of 5 stars. The concept and purpose of the book have been fully executed. I have no reason to give it a lower rating.

I would recommend this book primarily to all lovers of abstract, intimate and inspirational poetry. I believe that parents who are going through similar challenges with their children, as the author, would enjoy these verses the most.

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Thoughts From The Oak
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[Chris Agbara]

What a powerful and emotional collection of poems! I love how Colasanti writes in a distinctive and lyrical style, using similes and metaphors to convey deep emotions. Her poems about her children's illnesses and the challenges of motherhood are both heartbreaking and inspiring. The lack of punctuation and capitalization only adds to the rawness of the emotions. Highly recommend for lovers of thought-provoking literature.

[Fabbie Woods]

Thank you for sharing your heartfelt and touching review of Audrey Colasanti's "Thoughts from the Oak". Your words beautifully capture the essence of the author's emotional journey as a mother and her family's struggles with illness.