I have finished reading
Silent Spaces by
Sandy Carlson. Sandy's
photography of graffiti first caught my eye a long time ago. I have since learned that she also writes about
faith and is a
poet. This book is a collection of letters, poems and family memories of her uncle, Laurence, who died in World War II in the Pacific.
I have been told countless times that memories comfort the grieving and they help to keep a person alive. Memories of your family that are given to you by members of your family add a dimension and context, even veracity, to the memories of an individual who has died. In my birth family, the dead are gone and are not spoken of again. They are actually hidden and secreted away in many ways. Sandy's book was a lesson for me in how other families deal with loss and memories: they
share them in many ways.
Set in New England, I understood the sites, activities and images in this book. The sea shells and stone walls, even the deer, pumpkins and "dun trees," that may be familiar to everyone, I know in the context of the seasons that we have (seasons are used by Sandy as a metaphor throughout the book). Winter light, swamps, and old photo albums found in attics are so familiar to me that I can smell and feel the air as I read about them.
Sandy's book was an emotional and spiritual blessing for me. Every reader will find valuable insights when they read it. Click on the image above to buy the book.
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