Book of the Year- 2005
Review by: Arlene McKanic/ The Courier Life
Caribbean Life Newspaper
Life-affirming triumph over breast cancer chronicled " Smiling Thru the Tears: A Breast Cancer Survivor Odyssey" By Pamela deLeon-Lewis ISBN: 1413770703 PublishAmerica Smiling Thru the Tears is a collection of over 100 poems documenting Pamela deLeon-Lewis' journey through, and eventual triumph over, breast cancer. If the cover, which shows a smiling and radiantly healthy-looking young woman is any indication, she's doing well. Indeed, one is startled to learn, through these poems, that deLeon-Lewis is in her 50s, and a grandmother. The cycle begins with intimations of wrongness as the poet attributes the beginning of her cancer to her father's death and the stress of 9/1 1 which sent her career as a consultant into disarray. She even dreams of being told she has cancer. Yet, when the news comes in real life, it's a shocker. She writes in "Dream Becomes Reality": "I knew there was something wrong; Daily the signs were getting so strong." The resulting poems confirm and reaffirm her absolute faith in God. Some of them read like prayers or Psalms. A series of wonderfully angry poems shout her defiance in the face of life-threatening illness, as in the lines of "I'll Stand Tall": "But I refuse to stoop to you. You can't conquer me at all." She refers to the cancer itself as DeMon, a play, one guesses, on "demon" and "The Man," the oppressor, the thing that's out to do her in. There are homages to friends, to the "Chemo Squad" and the "Radiation Squad." Yet while she lauds the help of her squads, she doesn't spare the reader the agony of her treatment: "I had sores in my mouth; I couldn't eat. Pains in my legs, my feet, and my hands; I had pains in my eyes, pains in my head. So much pain it was blowing my mind," (from "I Remember ... Part I.") There are poems of gratitude for the medical team that helped her, her daughters, her grandchildren, her aunties, her mother, her dead father, her neighbor, her younger daughter's babysitter, the folks in a cancer support chatroom, Oprah Winfrey ("Ms. Oprah Winfrey is positively the world's greatest incentive for me") and even a stranger who smiles at her on the street, and poems. There are poems that remind the reader that the aftermath of even a successful battle against breast cancer is hard. She still has pain, she can't lift her right arm, and the treatment even damaged her brain. Some poems contemplate what it's like to have one's right breast amputated (she used to refer to her breast as "lost"). When we learn that the doctors have found a calcification in her left breast, the suspense is comparable to anything in a murder mystery novel. Our relief when we find out that all is well is thorough. The book ends with a poem by her grandson, Jahlani Andrew Roberts: "I am happy to say she is now Cancer Free!!! Now she has time to hang with me." Smiling Thru Tears is a triumphant, life-affirming book.
Lets Talk Honestly { LTH } Review by: George Cook
THE MONTH'S REVIEW
Pamilla deLeon Lewis has written a powerful book of poetry titled SMILING THRU THE TEARS A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR ODYSSEY. Very rarely does a writer let you deep inside their soul and give you a deep insight into their struggles. This book runs the emotional gamut from sadness to anger to happiness
Pamilla's book is a book of poetry about her struggle with breast cancer and she takes you from the emotional discovery, through remission and up to now. Some of the poems are very personal and you can see that they are directed at someone. I read several books a year and very rarely do I read a book of poetry that I want to finish right away. With most poetry books all the poems start to read the same because there was one writer. Not so with this book, there are more than 150 poems each one distinctive from the next. My favorite poem from the book is "It Better Not Be You" about the possible return of her cancer... to me this poem reflects the inner strength of it's writer and her refusal to give in to cancer.
This, by far, is the best book of poetry I have read this year, hell it's the best book I've read this year even better than the masterpiece I wrote and that ain't easy. In case you haven't figured it out yet I highly recommend this book.
Review of Smiling Thru the Tears- a Breast Cancer Survivor’s Odyssey
by Pamilla deLeon-Lewis.
In her heartwarming and touching book of poetry: Smiling Thru the Tears, A Breast Cancer Survivor’s Odyssey, Ms. deLeon-Lewis shows us that we should all wake up and listen to what our bodies are telling us. Brought to her through a dream, God showed her that cancer was here. But DeMon, her inventive name for cancer didn’t have a chance. Ms. deLeon-Lewis’ faith showed us that with the love of and from God, you can look cancer in the face, deal with it and survive. The help of friends, family and strangers showed a capacity of love that is rarely witnessed. The will of Ms. deLeon-Lewis is beyond any other I have ever seen, an inspiration. This is a story of one brave lady’s hope, will to live and love of God. Through this book of poetry, Ms. deLeon-Lewis shows us that we can and should savor every moment of every day. If DeMon came into our lives, don’t give up. Have faith – God will do the rest. May God bless you, Pamilla. You have written Smiling Thru the Tears and as I sit here and write this review, I am also “smiling through tears.” It is my honor to offer to all my review of this wonderful path of love. This book is a must have – no matter what we’re dealing with in life, it can help us remember what is most important. Thank you, Pamilla. By Starr Reina, author of Cruel Whispers.
bravenet.com