Reviewed by Alison Dalafave
ABOUT THE BOOK
In this rare collection of nonfiction Christian poetry and prose based on real life experiences, Diamante Lavendar, a victim of abuse, shows the reader the raw emotions of pain, hate, and denial that occur before a victim of abuse can find a way to heal from the pains of assault. Knowing herself the very difficult journey of being a victim, Diamante was abused as a child, and turned to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain. Many years later, she started to heal under God’s watchful eyes and was able to find love in her life again. She shares these truly inspiring, religious poems in the hopes that it may help other victims heal their hurts, as she did while writing the poetry collection.
122 Pages
MY REVIEW
3 out of 5 stars
Through a mixture of encouraging interludes and heart-tugging poetry, Lavendar spins a beautiful progression from pain and heartbreak to joy and appreciation. She begins her book with a set of poems and affirmations that express her devotion and gratitude towards God. While these poems are certainly a genuine declaration of faith, their tone conflicts with the more personal poetry that appears later in the book. Lavendar hits her stride with these latter compositions. Her exploration of the anguish which resulted from her childhood abuse is both heart wrenching and raw. These poems seems to provide a cathartic release for Lavendar. She constructs poems of anger and loss before slowly moving her journey towards self-forgiveness and acceptance. Ultimately, Lavendar ends her composition with a message of love and hope for a better future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diamante Lavendar has been in love with reading since she was a child. She spent many hours listening to her mother read to her when she was young. As she grew older, she enjoyed reading novels of all genres. Diamante believes that everyone should try to leave their own positive mark on the world, and to make it a better place for all. Writing is her way of leaving her mark—one story at a time. She began writing in college and has published poetry in anthologies over the years. Once her kids were grown, she wrote as a form of self-expression and decided she wanted to share her stories with others. Most of her writing is very personal and stems from her own experiences, and those of her family and friends. She writes to encourage hope and possibility to those who read her stories. To learn more about Diamante Lavendra and her books, please visit her website at: www.diamantelavendar.com.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.