This is a memoir in verse and is my second book. Originally it was published as an ebook in 2008, but now it is also a paperback. The poems have undergone some revision and the paperback edition has an extra poem as well as photos. In the book, I recall the people who have touched my life and taught me precious life lessons, the most important of which is the fact that every encounter in life can be a force for good and, if we see with the heart, our man-made divisions will seem both absurd and insignificant. A celebration of our common humanity, heavily influenced by my German/English background. This is the review on the back cover, by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, multi award-winning writer of fiction and poet:

"Family and More, a book of poetry by Helena Harper, is like a poetic synopsis of a wartime saga, the life of a family with a backdrop of history, a memoir told in poetic blubs. The author encapsulates characters and events breathtakingly. There is so much here to think about once one turns the last page. I was left wanting more! More!..."
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, multi award-winning writer of fiction and poet

Free verse poetry is a lot like prose, only it can't decide on what lines the words should be. At least, that's how I see it.

Many times, when free verse poetry is employed, it is to tell a story. Helena Harper with Family & More: Enemies or Friends is no exception.

The poems presented in this book tell short biographies of what I assume are real people. I assume this because there is a nice blend of important facts and trivial information, as well as a balance of positive and negative portrayals to make the people discussed here believably real.

If you do find yourself reading this book, don't make the same mistake that I did. Make sure you have plenty of time to devote to reading this book from beginning to end with little or no interruptions. What with the bitesize chunks (a chapter or so here, there) I took of the book, I lost the cohesion of the work as a whole, drawing common lines between the characters discussed. And because of that, I probably didn't enjoy the book as well as I could have hoped.

I'll be honest, the book didn't reach out and grab me. It was, however, interesting enough for me to willingly loan it my interest for the times I read it. Not gripping, but still worth reading if you do so enjoy poetry.

This book may appeal to you if you find you like free verse poetry, especially that about families. ( )