Book Review – Life is a Mosaic – Random fragments in harmony by Sally Cronin #Poetry

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I’m thrilled to share with you my five-star review of Life is a Mosaic, by Sally Cronin. It is a wonderful book of syllabic poetry – touching, insightful and a delight to read. I think it would make an ideal gift for any adult – or be a good way to give yourself a treat. I’m in a Covid lockdown in Canberra at the moment, so reading this was the perfect way to cheer myself up.

What Sally Cronin says about Life is a Mosaic

Like everyone this last year, I have found it tough at times to focus on writing projects, particularly longer stories and novels. I have found participating in poetry or flash fiction challenges therapeutic as they offer an opportunity to complete a project weekly. At the end of a year, with a few editions, you have a collection that has evolved without too much stress.

So many events, celebrations and milestones in our lives have been cancelled or put on hold, so it is a positive outcome to the isolation.

What Amazon says

“Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” Arthur Brisbane 1911.

An image offers an opportunity to see endless possibilities depending on the viewer’s perspective. Where some might see beauty and joy, others imagine sadness and loss of hope.

In this collection, images and syllabic poetry are brought together to tell a story based on the author’s perspective. The poetry explores our human experiences such as love, happiness, hope, aging, friendship, new beginnings, dreams and loss.

The world around us is an amazing playground and source of all our essential needs as well as sensory experiences that bring wonder into our lives. What lies beyond the horizon? What surprises will we discover as a garden bursts into bloom? Where do the night creatures live?

At the end of the collection there are some longer poems celebrating memories of the author’s life of travel, teenage exploits and love of food!

Available at all Amazon outlets including USA and UK

My Review – also posted on Goodreads and Amazon Australia

A delightful book of poetry

I’m familiar with Sally Cronin’s wonderful books of short stories, and especially enjoyed her recent book “Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries” – a delectable combination of short stories and poems. I was looking forward to reading her new poetry book, and I was not disappointed.

The author has a talent for weaving poems and stories that engage the reader and touch the heart. This book of poetry does the same thing. With a carefully chosen image to inspire each delightful and satisfying poem, the reader can’t help but be entranced. All of them merge together into one whole, in the same way as a mosaic picture is created from many small parts.

Cronin is a master of syllabic poetry, so reading this book is a good way to experience the form if you would like to learn more about it. All the poems are easy to read and enjoyable on first glance, but savouring and reading each one several more times will reveal the full and deeper meaning.

So many aspects of life are touched on – always in a delightful and surprising way, and touching on Cronin’s life and perspective. I enjoyed the author’s whimsical memories of youth, including annual vacations, her favourite foods and some of her adventures as a teenager. I was enchanted by her hopeful poetry about ageing, isolation, healing, time and so many other subjects. Each one is written with an original and very personal viewpoint.

Other subjects Cronin touches on are childhood memories of Ceylon, friendship, birthdays and keeping secrets. I loved the poem about the silver lining to isolation, and the one about scepticism and fake news.

If you’re looking for a delightful book to remind you about life’s many joys and wonders, then this would be the perfect choice. I intend keep it in mind next time I’m looking for a gift.

I give it an emphatic five stars.

About Sally Cronin 

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Sally Cronin is the author of fifteen books including her memoir Size Matters: Especially when you weigh 330lb first published in 2001. This has been followed by another fourteen books both fiction and non-fiction including multi-genre collections of short stories and poetry.

Her latest release, Life is Like a Mosaic: Random fragments in harmony is a collection of 50 + images and poems on life, nature, love and a touch of humour.

As an author she understands how important it is to have support in marketing books and offers a number of FREE promotional opportunities in the Café and Bookstore on her blog and across her social media.

Her podcast shares book reviews and short stories Soundcloud Sally Cronin

After leading a nomadic existence exploring the world, she now lives with her husband on the coast of Southern Ireland enjoying the seasonal fluctuations in the temperature of the rain.

Her wonderful blog can be found here: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Sally Cronin’s Other Books

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You can find her Amazon author page HERE

You can also find more information on all her books here: Sally’s Books and Reviews 

Thank you for stopping by. My name is Toni Pike, a multi-genre author who loves writing thrillers for adults, non-fiction, and hilarious books for children.

I’m the author of DESOLATION BLUFF, DEAD DRY HEART and The Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series: THE MAGUS COVENANT, THE ROCK OF MAGUS, THE MAGUS EPIPHANY and HOLY SPEAR OF MAGUS.

The Brody Cody Series is for children aged 6-9: BRODY CODY AND THE STEPMOTHER FROM OUTER SPACE and BRODY CODY AND THE HAUNTED VACATION HOUSE.

I’m also the author of two non-fiction books. THE ONE WAY DIET is a no-nonsense guide to losing weight and HAPPY TRAVELS 101 is a short book of travel tips.

All My Books Blog

All my books can be found HERE.

You can find me online here:

Website: tonipike.com

Amazon author page: Toni Pike

Instagram: @authorlovestravel  – Sharing my travel photos from around the world

Facebook: Toni Pike – Author

Goodreads

Twitter:  @piketoni1

Linkedin Toni Pike – Linkedin

Email: authortoni.pike@gmail.com

Contact Form

 

47 thoughts on “Book Review – Life is a Mosaic – Random fragments in harmony by Sally Cronin #Poetry”

  1. Miriam Hurdle

    This is a wonderful review of Sally’s new book, Toni! I agree with you that Sally has a talent to weave poems and stories that engage the readers and touch their hearts! This new book is another masterpiece by Sally. Thank you for sharing your review.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply ↓
  6. petespringerauthor

    Super review, Toni. I’ve been a big fan of Sally’s short stories, but even as someone who rarely writes poetry, I’ve noticed that Sally has a lot of talent in that area as well.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓
  8. olganm

    A lovely review, Toni. I’m not a big reader of poetry, but as a follower of Sally’s blog and having read many of her stories and poems, I am sure this one is gold. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

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