Review of “A Life's Tapestry” by Patricia Stanway

Score: 90/100 (9.0 out of 10)

This beautiful, heartfelt poetry book by Patricia Stanway opens a window into the author's incredible life journey in overcoming what we can infer to be a challenging childhood to become an outstanding poet and author.

This poetry book, probably more than the others we've read, really captures the idea of the “seasons” of life. There are high times and there are low times. There are up times and there are down times. There are times when things are bright and there are times when things are dark. There are times when you feel love and all the happy feelings. There are times when you feel anger, resentment, sadness, and unhappy feelings.

This book covers topics like sexuality (especially discovering sexuality), family, music, searching for meaning, direction and inspiration; loss and pain, discovery, fantasy, truth, desire, introspection, and nature. There are even some poems in here about mystical and spiritual elements.

Something we appreciated about this poetry book is that it is a poetry book—a true poetry book. These are poems—true poems. The author doesn't break into prose explaining each and every single poem. There's also a level of ambiguity and mystery behind these poems. WE—the audience, the readers—are expected to interpret these poems and acquire meaning. The meaning isn't thrown at us like “this means this” and “that means that.” This is also the least didactic or preachy of either of the four poetry books we've read and reviewed thus far. It also happens to be the most mellow and calm. Yes, the book does touch on issues such as abuse and death, but it's usually presented in a way that seems more reflective than dire. You don't have a feeling like the writer is in any immediate danger or that the matter at hand is a pressing or urgent one.

The writing winds and weaves like the threads of a tapestry, and it's quite beautiful!

Check it out on Amazon!

P.S. Really quickly, we would like to consider this book cover for our “Best Book Cover” consideration. It's spectacular!