Book Review: "Unstrung Heart"

Unstrung Heart by Robbi Sommers

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Years ago, when I was still married, I bought a copy of Robbi Sommers' book "Pleasures". My goodness but the woman could write some steamy, sexy stories that were geared for a woman to read. Her stories "Miss Lavender" (from "Pleasures") and "Married With Kids" (from "Kiss & Tell") are two of the sexiest, best-written pieces of lesbian erotica that I've ever read. Mercy, girl!

So anyway, at some point, I picked up a copy of "Unstrung Heart", a book of poetry by Ms. Sommers, which I promptly stashed on my shelf and there it sat for over a decade before I pulled it out just recently and read it. It was NOT what I expected, at all.

I hadn't had any idea that the author's 21-year-old son had died, and that this book of poems was all about her grief and her descent into, and back from, a terrible, deep mourning.

As poetry, this is not Pablo Neruda, nor do I think it claims to be, or is meant to be. Although it does have some very nice turns of phrase and affecting language in it, what this book really delivers is a glimpse into what real emotional devastation is. It's so raw and honest about something so difficult, that it almost feels like trespassing, to read it. I think it took a lot of courage to write it, and I also suspect that the writing probably helped her to make it through.

Definitely worth reading, but only as long one understands what it is.





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