Beauty Even Here by Laurel Luehmann (release day + ARC review)

 a delightful collection of poetry from a Christian author 

Beauty Even Here by Laurel Luehmann

| writing through life one step at a time | 

Hello lovelies! Welcome to the blog! I am so excited to have you here!

Today is a very exciting day! I am helping out one of my favorite authors & poets the lovely Laurel Luehmann! Many of you know about my love for her book Clarion Hope. Today her newest poetry collection comes out!

 

What Is The Book About?   

open my eyes so that I may see

the beauty You’ve unfurled before me!

Beauty Even Here records a weariness familiar to many: one of aching restlessness on a stretch of unwanted road. But often it is that road, running through the depths of our grief and near despair, that can lead us to catch clearer glimpses of God’s goodness in our waiting, His steadfast love in the midst of our suffering, and the glimmers of hope He tucks in the cracks of our shattered dreams and expectations.

Laced with nature imagery and alternating between cadenced pieces and freestyle poetry, this cathartic collection is for the weary Christian, and seeks to offer a fresh yet deeply honest way of seeing our seasons of prolonged pain for what they are: an opportunity to long deeper still for another world, and to see more clearly the heart and love of Christ.

Review

rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This is such a beautiful collection of poetry!

Laurel has such a way with writing that touches your heart and you feel you have met a kindred spirit. I think the title “Beauty Even Here” was perfect to describe what this collection is about. It is the struggle of going through loss and grief and waiting while still holding on to hope and joy. It is a collection about finding beauty even in the darkest times. It’s being honest with God and looking to Him when all else fails. It is learning to trust in Jesus to hold our brokenness.

My favorite poem is that called “love triangle”. If there was one poem to encapsulate what this year has been for me it is this. It is feeling grief and sorrow while at the same time looking for joy. Can there be both? Can we feel the sting of loss while also seeing the beauty and joy in life? This is the balance I’ve been trying to find this year. Can I mourn and rejoice? Can I seek after God with thanksgiving and still feel sorrow? I want to look with Hope to the future of being with Jesus.

This world is temporary. 

This world is fallen.

We have hope in Jesus!

All along the way we can see beauty even here. There is beauty in pain. Beauty in suffering. Beauty in the sight of my savior dying on the cross to save me from sin. Do not lose heart. There is sorrow on Friday and Saturday but they are only a moment. On Sunday Jesus came back to life! Sunday begins eternity!

I suppose this is what I found in reading Laurel’s beautiful book. It is seeing both sorrow and joy, pain and beauty, death and resurrection. What a beautiful reminder!

———I want to give a big thanks to the author for letting me read this eARC book! This is an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions I have expressed are my own.

Thank You For Reading   

Thank you for being here and for being a part of my life! I hope you are all having a wonderful rest of your day! I’ll see you in the next one!

Love, Moriyah