Saturday, August 1, 2009

Family and More- Enemies or Friends? by Helena Harper




Family and More: Enemies or Friends? by Helena Harper

Who influences us in our lives? How do they influence us? Whom do we call an enemy? Whom do we call a friend? And why? Why do we have relationships at all?

These are the questions Helena Harper eloquently asks in her collection of poems that examines the relationships in her own life. She has had to rethink her definition of 'enemy', not least because her father was English and her mother German and they met in the aftermath of World War II in Germany. She has also been forced to rethink her definition of 'friend'. If we learn something from someone that helps us to grow and develop as human beings, becoming more understanding and compassionate in the process, then surely most people we meet in life will be our 'friends'?

Through the memories and experiences of the people in Helena's life, others can hopefully reflect on their own and maybe come to understand themselves and their relationships better.


Review of “Family and More – Enemies or Friends?”

Family and More – Enemies or Friends? is more than a collection of poems, it is a story I enjoyed and learned from. As you read this book, it becomes clear that the author put a great deal of time and effort into the choice of every word used. Each poem has a melodic flow that moves smoothly into the next.

Family and More enlightens the reader to the conflicts and confusion that exist in a family divided by war. Being the child of a German mother and English father in the aftermath of WWII, the author delves into her family’s history by examining the lives of several family members as well as other personal relationships. Each poem is an intertwined life. With descriptive imagery these people come alive; you see their struggles and triumphs.
This wonderful poetic story goes beyond a family history; it depicts the futility, frustration and hardship of war, along with the frailties and strengths of the people that make up each of our families.

Family and More – Enemies or Friends? is a beautifully written book. I highly recommend it.

Karen Cioffi, Author and Freelance Writer DKV Writing 4 U (http://dkvwriting4u.com/)
http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com/Co-author of Day’s End Lullaby


Contact details/more info:

Email: webmaster@helenaharper.com
Helena’s website: http://www.helenaharper.com/
Helena’s authorsden website: http://www.authorsden.com/helenaharper
Helena’s blog: http://helenaharpersblog.blogspot.com/
Follow Helena on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/helenaharper
Family and More- Enemies or Friends? is only available was an E-book from the publisher Eloquent Books.


Stay tuned on Monday for more information about Helena!

10 comments:

Nancy Famolari said...

Family and More sounds like a great read. I particularly like the cover!

Unknown said...

Everyone needs insight on their family relationships. Helena's book promises to do just that.

Vivian Zabel said...

The title is very attention grabbing, and the contents, the poetry, does, too.

What an interesting concept.

Donna McDine said...

Insightful and one all should ponder about.

Regards,
Donna
Children’s Author
Write What Inspires You Blog
Donna M. McDine’s Website

Helena Harper said...

Thank you everyone for your comments. Originally, the book was just called "Family and More", but I added "Enemies or Friends" to give the reader a bit more of an insight into what the underlying theme was. And I'm pleased to announce that the book will be published as a paperback in the next few months with an additional poem and several photos as well, so I'm really excited about that!

Thank you so much, Crystalee, for your post.

Helena
http://www.helenaharper.com

Karen Cioffi said...

Crystalee, thanks for a great post.

And, Helena, your book is beautiful; I'm honored that you used my review to explain it.

Karen

Liana said...

All looks just great, Helena. And very interesting to read.
Liana

Unknown said...

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by to learn about Helena's book. And thank you, Helena, for allowing me to host you. Poetry collections intrigue me since my background is in poetry. I hope everyone joins us on Monday to learn more about Helena Harper herself.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson said...

Crystalee, I love how easy you make it for us to follow your blog. And, Helena, how I love learning more about my favorites poet/biographer. (-:
Best,
Carolyn

Dianne G. Sagan said...

Helena,

Your book "Family and More - Enemies or Friends? sounds like a wonderful way to expore families and what happens when we are in a family divided, whether it is by war or something else. I'm really glad to get to know more about you and your book.