Recently, a fellow blogger and an ever-encouraging supporter, Luanne Castle wrote a lovely book of poems about her family.  From the start, Kin Types captured my imagination with the thought-provoking title and the intriguing cover.   It began with sage advice from familial ancestors who have lived a life of hard work and a heartfelt existence that helped those in need.

Each page dedicated to the history and the tales of all who lived before her, Luanne snared the soul and inner strength of each person that she holds dear and close so that she might keep their stories alive.  Each town, each country found a home under her pen as she shared the accounts from each cherished ancestor.

Anecdotes of special events and the hauntings of heartache as a home fell to fire and a family was left without a roof.  And I could not escape the image of a little one; “The little girl’s molten eyes harden like glass into marbles (23).

The writer reminded of a time when neighbors helped each other and kept people safe and fed amidst heartache and tragedy.  She wrote of courage and strength, and she shared of the uncertainty of womanhood and all of its demands.  The writer reminded that family is a gift to be treasured and remembered.

To read more about Luanne’s family, follow her at The Family Kalamazoo.