Among the Dying Violets by Barb Shadow is a courageous collection of poems that confronts painful past events and concludes with a hopeful ending. The poem “Grandpa” recounts beautiful times spent with the poet’s grandfather as he took her to school and final memories of him. The first verses paint an image of his home. In the poem “My Father,” the poet expresses understanding of her father’s distant nature after reading letters left behind by her grandfather: “As you aged/ I think Grandpa needed to show me/ Needed to let us know/ Why you were so tortured/ His regret.” Loss, grief, and hope are central themes. The poem “Let it Go” expresses anger and the need to let go of painful memories: “It churns in me/ I should just close my eyes/ But something in me needs to see/ Has to touch the nerve.”

The poems vary in structure; some are long and contain detailed events, others are short and direct. Some utilize rhetorical questions to examine past actions and choices made such as in the poem “I’ll Never Know” which questions why someone in the poet’s life made different choices. The poet’s tone also changes, effectively expressing her thoughts and perspectives in each poem. The poet uses an aggrieved tone to express anger in the poem “Gone”: “But/ truly/ we died years before/ Do not back me into a corner/ I’m armed with the truth and I’m not afraid to use it.” The poem “It’s the Simple Things in Life…” shows optimism beyond chaos and adversity through its more lively tone. Among the Dying Violets by Barb Shadow is a moving, poignant poetry collection.

Among the Dying Violets is a collection of poetry penned by Barb Shadow. The book is the debut poetry collection from the author that explores the journey of their life as it touches on themes of grief and love. The author uses poetry to help process their experience of losing their family members over a short period of time, and eventually healing from that loss and being able to love again. It should be noted that the poems also discuss a difficult marriage and alcoholism, which some readers may find challenging, but the topics are handled with sensitivity.

Author Barb Shadow has delivered a collection of inspiring and thought-provoking poems. From the moment I started reading the poems, I could feel the author's passion and was touched by the personal details in the work. One of the things that I enjoyed the most about this collection was how evocative the word constructions were, and the author’s ability to immerse you in the poems even if you’ve not been through a similar experience. Among the Dying Violets explores one person’s journey from loss and pain to hope and love, and encourages you to see the beauty in the world and life. My personal favorites from this collection were ‘Childhood Memories’ and ‘I Can Breathe’, which I felt particularly highlighted the author’s talent for imagery and emotive writing. I found the tone of the poems personal yet empowering, and I look forward to reading more of Shadow’s work in the future. I would not hesitate to recommend Among the Dying Violets to those looking for an inspiring collection of poems that explores the highs and lows of life.