What I'm Reading...

Barley Child by Greg Rappleye

I'm sharing this collection of poems for both abovementioned reasons. I'm inspired by the author on a personal level, and it's a compelling read.

A sojourn in the Irish American experience, this collection is genealogy and Americana soaked in human frailty and dysfunction, tinged with a bit of wry humor. It is a portrait of the generational grief and bounty we all claim, regardless of lineage.

I met Greg in his prior life as an attorney and watched him follow his writer’s heart to become an award winning poet. Barley Child is Greg’s fifth collection and the 2025 Miller Williams Poetry Prize winner. Writing journeys like Greg’s are fuel for the aspiring author.

Barley Child is now available on Amazon and other outlets where great books are found. It is also available locally at The Bookman in Grand Haven, Michigan where Greg will hold a reading on April 24.

Reflections at Eighty: Memoir, Essays, Poems, and Dreams by Henk Ottens

Dutch immigrant, physician, lifetime learner, and my friend, Henk Ottens has a “joie de vivre” like none other. A great expression of it all is his recent autobiographical compilation. A journal of life, Reflections illustrates the adventure that can be found in everyday activity and events, complexity in simplicity. It is a chronicle of one man’s odyssey laced with honesty, love, and humor. This collection should encourage us all to write it down, to make note of what we have and what has happened. Reflections at Eighty can be found at The Bookman in Grand Haven, Michigan.

On occasion, I come across a book or collection I want to tell others about. It could be from an author whose journey I find compelling and encouraging, or it's a great read I think others will enjoy.

Lilac Girls is historical fiction inspired by the life and work of American philanthropist Caroline Ferriday. The novel steps off with Hitler’s 1939 invasion of Poland, following socialite Caroline, German doctor Herta Oberheuser and Polish teen Kasia Kuzmerick. Beautifully written and well researched, this was a great read although brutally honest at times. The story is cleverly crafted, showing one point in history from the perspective of three young women in very different situations.

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly