4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Listening, I Hear Your Voices by Stephanie A. Hunter R.N., MSW is a collection of poems about veterans and their struggles of dealing with PTSD. The author is a nurse and a social worker who spent her time talking to veterans dealing with PTSD. She then wrote a book of poems about their feelings and experiences.
At the beginning of the book, the author has an introduction that thanks each of the veterans that she has communicated with. Consisting of about forty-five poems, most of the poems depict the struggles veterans face every day as they try to live among their memories of war. There are also poems that are written from the author’s point of view as she gets to know the lives of these veterans. At the end of the book is an introduction of the author that tells of the growth the author has experienced during her life as a nurse and then as a social worker.
Many of the poems are filled with dark imagery, referencing longing, pain, loss, and sadness. However, there are also poems that are filled with care and love. The collection includes poems with varying length that range from a few verses to a little more than one page. Moreover, the poems in this collection varied in style. Some poems had different rhyming patterns while other poems were written in free verse. Each poem can stand alone, but together each poem complements one another. However, there is a section in the book that says it isn’t a poem which I thought was a bit out of place, but I think it still fits into the theme of what the author is trying to portray.
Although I have little experiences with veterans dealing with PTSD, I found this book of poems to be very moving. I could sense the emotion and passion written in every poem. I have not gone through what they have experienced, but it was touching to read about some of what goes on inside their minds. What I liked most about reading this book is that when reading the poems, I was able to get a sense of the feelings that each poem brings.
Overall, I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. I found the poems to be very moving and I enjoyed reading every single one of them. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy poetry as well as those who struggle with or want to understand PTSD.
******
Listening I Hear Your Voices
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like ZenaLei7's review? Post a comment saying so!