THE BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite
A postcard is more than just a pretty picture on one side, marking a spot of interest somewhere in the world, perhaps even something exotic. A postcard is what’s written on the back, addressed to a recipient with a quaint little note about an event, a memory, or an expression of emotions filled with hope. What is written on the postcard is a story, a memoir, a cherished tidbit of life. It may be prose, or it may be poetry. But it is short, eloquent and to the point.
Stephanie Verni’s collection of short stories and poems, The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry, provides readers with a large selection of ideas, emotions, experiences and a love that comes from a message in a bottle, or a love that endures a breakup only to be resurrected through the exchange of vintage postcards with loving messages. In verse, the author/poet introduces the reader to this eloquent collection of thoughts and scenarios: “Stories can blur what’s true, what’s not-/ And among these pages, I’ve dabbled with plots./ So I’m awfully glad you’ve taken the time-/ To read what’s yours, but once was mine.”
The collection follows this enticing opening, carefully arranged and presented so the reader can savor one story or poem at a time. The author suggests that she really isn’t a poet, but her rhyming verse, her haiku, and even a lovely sonnet say otherwise. Each story is well constructed and speaks about the human condition: love, death, loneliness, separation, fear and so much more. An enjoyable read.