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Reviewed by Cherubimaris Casino for Readers' Favorite
Recalibrating Gravity by Mary Keating is written in verses that capture poignant stories of her life. The author survived a car accident at age fifteen, which left her paraplegic. She begins the story with memories of sitting in the church pew with her family. The collection extends to cover her childhood in Rye, New York, with memories of family protests against a bridge, eating green olives with her friend, and struggles with different ways she grieved her mother. Post-accident, poems like “Hospital’s Care” describe issues surrounding inaccessible healthcare. Poems such as “Salty” and “Love’s First Spark” recall teenage romance. Keating’s own illustrations accompany the verses and include haikus and a contrapuntal poem, exploring disability, love, and loss across decades. Keating also addresses critical themes with raw honesty and wit, such as societal barriers and rejecting stereotypes of disability.
Every page of this book was emotionally moving! I loved how the author blends humor and heartache with masterful free verse. Mary Keating’s background as a lawyer and scuba diver infuses her work with fierce resilience, making her rejection of pity or hero worship deeply authentic. Her ability to liken life’s struggles to a B-movie awaiting a new director is both clever and inspiring, offering so much wisdom to readers. The poems resonate universally, capturing the messiness and beauty of human experience. For anyone seeking poetry that uplifts while confronting hard truths, Recalibrating Gravity: A Memoir in Verse is a must-read, leaving readers empowered to find grace in any circumstance.
