Bitmo Sunday book review

Sunday Book Review – Grief Songs by Elizabeth Gauffreau

Published on by dgkaye

My Sunday Book Review is for Elizabeth Gauffreau’s beautiful picture and poetry in memoir- Grief Songs – Poems of Love and Remembrance. The author generously sent me a paperback copy of this beautiful poetic memoir. Inscribed in handwritten words at the front page, Liz writes: “I hope Grief Songs will resonate with you. Living with grief is a very hard road to travel, as you know all too well.”Thank you Liz.

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Blurb:

“Poetry readers willing to walk the road of grief and family connections will find Grief Songs: Poems of Love & Remembrance a psychological treasure trove. It’s a very accessible poetic tribute that brings with it something to hold onto–the memories and foundations of past family joys, large and small.”
~Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review

“Grief Songs: Poems of Love & Remembrance is a passionate ode to loved ones lost and an intimate portrayal of one family’s shared grief. It holds the key to solace in home photographs and illustrates just how special our singular moments can be. ~Toni Woodruff, Independent Book Review

“A beautiful, personal collection of family photos and poems that express the author’s most inner feelings. Nostalgic and heartfelt, Gauffreau’s poems are written in the Japanese style of tanka, simple, thoughtful, and full of love. Filled with wonderful memories of the past.” ~Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review

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My 5 Star Review:

The author brings us this heartfelt little book of poetic memoirs inspired by snippets of her life with poignant memories wrapped up in poetic telling, accompanied by nostalgic photo imagery. The theme throughout the poems and photos is love, loss and remembrance, shared in vignettes.

This is a short book that packs a punch of life through the pages. A lovely tribute to Gauffreau’s lost loved ones, mother, father, brother, expressed through Tanka poetry. Stories you can read over again and again, leaving us to conjure our own nostalgia about people from our own past lives, depicting moments in time through snapshots of life.

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One of the author’s heartfelt Tanka’s in remembrance of her brother George:

For a Crooked Smile (accompanied by a photo of smiling brother George)

oh, that crooked smile

he was my little brother

teller of tall tales

he smiled for me one last time

around the tube in his throat

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©DGKaye2023

78 thoughts on “Sunday Book Review – Grief Songs by Elizabeth Gauffreau”

  9. Congratulations to Liz on another great review. She has always impressed me as a model of consistency in terms of the way we treat our fellow bloggers.

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  12. I really enjoyed this book, Debby. So personal to Liz and her family, and yet grief is universal and I could relate personally to her poems. The one about her brother brought sudden tears to my eyes all over again. This is a beautiful collection of poems and memories that I highly recommend. Thanks for sharing your review, and congrats to Liz. ❤ ❤

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  13. I savored the poems and reflections in Grief Songs. Liz is an extraordinary writer and human being. Thank you for sharing your beautiful review, Debby. Congratulations, Liz, on another great recognition of your collection. ❤️

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  14. I love your review, Debby. I also recently read and enjoyed this beautiful little book of poetry and poignant moments. A big congratulations to Liz!

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  16. A beautiful review with a very sorrowful poem about her brother George. Probably someone else on here has or will say this, but sorrow is such a personal feeling that can be felt and shared by others who can picture the moment.

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