Official Review: Finding Their Way Home by Brenda Baker

Kristy Khem · Post by **Kristy Khem** » 02 Mar 2019, 16:08

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Finding Their Way Home" by Brenda Baker.]

3 out of 4 stars

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The pages of Finding Their Way Home by Brenda Baker explode with a delightful mix of heartwarming rhymes and thoughtful free verse prose. Baker’s poems describe a range of themes including motherhood, romantic love, parenting, hurt, abuse, and betrayal. The book also contains poetry that depicts the glory of nature, important people in the poet’s life, and the quiet spaces of illusory places.

I like reading poetry books because poetry is one of the most diverse forms of self-expression. Each poet writes in a different style and uniquely portrays their experiences and inspirations. Baker’s poems closely resemble song lyrics and stories. This is what I like most about the book. Some of her poems contain a repeated phrase in each verse. This is similar to a chorus in a song. This can be seen in the poem entitled Pitchers. One line in this poem also mentions a ranch. I was immediately reminded of a country song. In another poem called Dreams Apart, informal language is used such as ‘fightin’ instead of ‘fighting’. It depicts a shattered romance and I found it is similar to a pop song. However, the poems that are written like fables are my absolute favorite. For example, in Ruby the Red Maple, Baker describes a stubborn maple sapling who refuses to change into her winter coat because she loves her beautiful dress of red leaves. In this poem, the seasons (autumn and winter) are depicted as queens, and the trees change their attire when a new queen is about to reign.

I also like that some of her poems emphasize the importance of family. One poem portrays her grandparents’ love story. The poem is called My Ada and it describes a poor fisherman named Charlie and a Frenchwoman named Ada who marry despite being mocked by others. This is a touching tribute to her grandparents. I appreciate that the poet included this poem in her book because it gives me an insight into her life and her ancestry. Another family-oriented poem is called My Gift to You. It is one of the most heartwarming poems I’ve ever read and it is written from the perspective of a mother to her newborn baby.

Although I am pleased that images accompanied some of the poems in the book, the use of colored and non-colored pictures is inconsistent. The majority of the images are black and white but a few are in color such as the pink tree on page 75. Furthermore, most of the pictures in the book have a square, grey background without a border. This made them seem like cut-and-paste images from the internet. I don’t like this aspect of the book because it makes the book less appealing.

I am happy to report that there are no grammatical or spelling errors in the entire book. However, there is one formatting error where two different font sizes are used in one poem. Once this is fixed and the images are redone, I would be happy to give it a perfect rating. As it stands, however, I am rating it 3 out of 4 stars. Finding Their Way Home will appeal to anyone who likes poetry. Women will especially find many of Baker’s poems to be very relatable. Some of the poems harbor dark themes like sexual abuse, betrayal, and illness so those who have an aversion to these subjects may not enjoy reading this book.

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Finding Their Way Home
View: on Bookshelves | [amazon=B079HHPYMB:]on Amazon[/amazon:]

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randompersonavility · Post by **randompersonavility** » 04 Mar 2019, 02:51

I also like poetry so I am entraced by this book. As for me, I don't really mind the illustrations as long as the the words are impressive. Thanks for the review!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 04 Mar 2019, 11:11

There have been a LOT of poetry books lately. I'm glad you enjoyed this one, but I don't enjoy puzzling it out. I don't enjoy looking for the deeper meanings. Still, the themes here sound important. Thanks.

Kristy Khem · Post by **Kristy Khem** » 04 Mar 2019, 20:50

kandscreeley wrote: ↑04 Mar 2019, 11:11 There have been a LOT of poetry books lately. I'm glad you enjoyed this one, but I don't enjoy puzzling it out. I don't enjoy looking for the deeper meanings. Still, the themes here sound important. Thanks.

I've noticed a lot of poetry books on the site as well. This is my second review of one after reading another one right before!

Shirayuki Hime · Post by **Shirayuki Hime** » 13 Mar 2019, 09:30

I love poetry, I'll give it a try. I'm looking forward to this story.

Crazyreader01 · Post by **Crazyreader01** » 13 Mar 2019, 14:18

Poetry is one of the best art forms as every person sees something different, interprets the poem differently and takes away something different. It brings people together but also allows for individuality, which is why people can discuss poems for hours and still not come to an agreement about what exactly the poet is trying to say. The meaning behind the metaphors and other poetic techniques changes every time you discover something new and make a new connection. There is no absolute meaning to any poem as it changes along with the person and their experiences. Even the poet's intended meaning can change over time and that is the beauty of it. It's timeless.