From Amazon
Old age often defies stereotypes. Life’s later years are a time of slowing down and loss, but they can also be a period of reckoning and, sometimes, new beginnings as Pushcart Prize – nominated poet Sally Rosenthal comes to realize in this exploration of life past the age of seventy. In poetry and prose, she reflects on the past, examines the present, and looks ahead with grace and gratitude.
A companion volume to her previous book, Peonies in Winter: A Journey Through Loss, Grief, and Healing, this new work, while an honest appraisal of old age, is also filled with hope, thanks, and even joy.
My 5-Star Review
I met Sally years ago when she joined Behind Our Eyes, a writing group to which I belong. I enjoyed Peonies in Winter, which I reviewed here, along with other work she shared on our email list. When she recently announced the publication of Winter Pilgrimage, I snatched it up, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I love the way Sally acknowledges Behind Our Eyes, mentioning members, myself included, by name. It makes my heart happy to see that our group is helping authors succeed in publishing their work. This is the second book Sally has published since she joined us.
I love how Sally weaves the stories in her prose and poetry with vivid imagery. Being a senior citizen and having been a caregiver, I could relate to many of her pieces. I especially liked “Twilight with Tamsin,” in which she reflects on her relationship with her aging cat, and “Laughing with Lynda,” a poem that tells the story of two friends sharing a laugh and foreshadows an unpleasant event to come. Her essay, “One Jar of Peanut Butter at a Time,” makes an excellent point about solving the world’s problems in little steps.
I appreciate Sally titling her haiku sequences. Haiku usually don’t have titles. But in this case, the titles help those like me, who use Kindle Assistive Reader on Amazon smart speakers or other adaptive software, know when we’ve come to the beginning of a new poem. In her introduction, she explains that she titled the haiku to make it easier for those who will listen to future audio versions of the book. It’s great when authors consider accessibility.
I love how the collection is arranged, with poetry and prose interspersed. Because the poems are easy to follow, even those who don’t like poetry will appreciate them. I recommend Winter Pilgrimage to anyone wanting to read heartwarming, reflective pieces that plumb the depths of what it’s like to grow old.
Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography
Photo Resize and Description
by Two Pentacles Publishing
New! Living Vicariously in Wyoming: Stories
Copyright 2025 by Abbie Johnson Taylor
Published independently with the help of DLD Books.
Image Description written by Leonore Dvorkin of DLD Books.
As defined in the first story, living vicariously means living your life through someone else’s. You’re invited to live vicariously through the lives of the people in these stories. There’s the lawyer who catches his wife in the act with a nun. A college student identifies with a character in a play. A young woman loses her mother and finds her father. And a high school student’s prudish English teacher strenuously objects to a single word in her paper.
In Wyoming, as in any other state, people fall in love, and sometimes relationships are shattered. Accidents, domestic violence, prejudice, and crimes all occur. Lives are torn apart, and people are reunited. Ordinary people deal with everyday and not–so–everyday situations.
The 25 stories in this collection, most of which are set in Wyoming, are about how the various characters resolve their conflicts—or not.
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