Reviews
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Professional Reviews
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Ahlam Shalhout:
Recovering Stolen Dreams An anthology for the
rest of us With those lines, Ahlam touches a familiar
cord inside everybody, days of childhood, the warmth
of the womb and the process of molding those inner feelings
into a common language. As a poet, Ahlam went through
that process of virtual pregnancy and delivery that
is similar to a good earth that needs to be tilled and
watered to bring out the most desired fruit. Ahlam Shalhout
is one of those rare personalities that you do not meet
everyday. A mathematician by trade, a passionate cook
and dancer, and a poet by hobby. Talk about versatility
and being prolific! Ahlam goes beyond those boundaries
and walls that people draw around themselves. In Recovering
Stolen Dreams, Ahlam dives deep down in a journey
into the human psyche and hers especially, in a unique
autobiographical style. She dives deep into the oceans
of hidden memories, and suppressed dreams. Ahlam is
a unique personality. Her background is so colorful.
She was born and raised in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
which gave her that Caribbean flare and passion for
life. On the other side, her parents came to the US
as immigrants from Palestine with a rich heritage from
the Biblical land of Milk and Honey and strict rules
of upbringing. The family moved to Connecticut, a move
that galvanized Ahlam in her early days with the East
Coast way of living and cultural traditions. As if this
cultural exposure was not enough, Ahlam made another
move in her life, that left some imprint on her. She
relocated to the West Coast, crossing different time
zones, to make California, and San Diego in particular,
her home. In her poetry, Ahlam successfully attempts
to bring into harmony, memories of the past, dreams
for the future, individual and collective dreams, the
scientific and the literary, all married in the most
perfect marriage. In her poetic tradition, life style,
and life endeavors, Ahlam is a truly renaissance woman
with a clear vision for her life and she is socially
conscious, gasping for a poet’s dream of a Utopian
paradise that hardly exists on earth, but good to dream
of. “Her poetry weaves a tapestry of emotion set
in the past, present and future time. Her gift is the
expression that gives birth to a touch of healing. She
lures us to touch the pain that propels us into motion.
This motion that generates energy for action sets us
apart from our self- importance long enough to disentangle
the ego from the true self”. My favorite part of
Ahlam’s poetry is: Open Gaze Emerging from the
state of the womb I enter into the state of vulnerability
And fear I slip into a trough And emerge into a Healing..
Understanding.. Knowing .. The jagged edges of the shell
Are memories of the past? The struggle is all too familiar.
With those lines, Ahlam touches a familiar cord inside
everybody, days of childhood, the warmth of the womb
and the process of molding those inner feelings into
a common language. As a poet, Ahlam went through that
process of virtual pregnancy and delivery that is similar
to a good earth that needs to be tilled and watered
to bring out the most desired fruit.
(Aladdin Elaasar--Santa Clara, CA; Editorial Producer
of Planetarabia.com. Planetarabia.com
Feature Article for Woman of the Week) (c) 2000 by Planetarabia.com
-Aladdin Elaasar, Planetarabia.com
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Ahlam Shalhout’s
Recovering Stolen Dreams, inspired by the author’s
dreams and meditations, records through poetry the author’s
realization of her childhood abuse. Shalhout compares
her voyage through writing to the “delicate procedure”
of peeling a cactus pear: only after she has painstakingly
removed the thick layer of “anger, confusion and
darkness” that surrounds her can she reveal the
sweetness of the fruit, her life. Using rhyming verse
and imagery from the natural world, Shalhout conveys
the process of coming to terms with trauma. The process
itself, as she records in the opening pages of her book,
is one that is engaged with writing itself: “ .
. . each page// must reflect// the steps// of the journey
. . . .” As she proceeds poetically to acknowledge
her childhood trauma and its legacy in her adulthood,
Shalhout begins to see signs of her own capacity for
forgiveness in the natural world around her, hearing
in the ocean “sweet lullabies of . . . unsaid good-byes.”
Finally, she can assert that she's “reclaimed [her]
footing// on Mother Earth.” Shalhout’s final
poems speak of love and her sense of unity with the
natural world around her and may inspire others interested
in using writing to excise past demons. In her introduction
to the volume, Shalhout records her initial horror at
the visions which her writing revealed. Nevertheless,
she persevered and as she tells us, it was through writing
that she ultimately found release from her memories
of the past. As her poems “became brighter,”
so too did her life, which is increasingly “illuminated
with the brilliance of the moon and stars and the warmth
of the sun.”
(Amy Zalman--New York, NY; Reviewer for Zipidee.com
) (c) 2000 by Zipidee.com
-Amy Zalman, Zipidee.com
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Adventure
of Healing and Self-Discovery: This book of poems is
a thought provoking and gentle journey to self-discovery,
healing, and liberation. Miss Shalhout's ability to
weave words so pleasantly allows the reader the comfort
to dissolve past hurts and disappointments ... and face
the present with new confidence. I recommend this book
for ladies who are on the edge of new growth, and for
those who love them. As a father, illiterate in poetry,
I found her poetry melodic, captivating and an eye opener.
I was honored to be able to receive a signed copy for
my daughter and I'm sure it has the depth to challenge
and encourage her for many years. (Allen Whitworth--San
Diego, CA)
-Allen Whitworth, BarnesandNoble.com
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Venue Reviews
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Ahlam's
first book, Recovering Stolen Dreams, is a fascinating
and thought provoking journey into the depths of human
trial, emotion and triumph. Her poetry is enlightening,
and inspires its readers to look closely at life's potential
rather than its boundaries.
-Kris Cornwall, The Bear's Book
Den - Wakefield, RI
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Ms. Shalhout's
simple emotive poems are philosophical and beautiful,
providing instant intellectual stimulation and encouraging
continual reflection.
-Heather Bibbo, Waldenbooks
- Waterford, CT
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Ms. Shalhout's
book of poetry, Recovering Stolen Dreams, helps
us to explore our own emotions and ideas and consequently
their discovery throughout our life. Through her own
exploration, Ms. Shalhout reminds us of the gifts the
world has to offer and the gifts we have to offer the
world.
-Erin Scott, Waldenbooks -
Boston, MA
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Amature Reviews
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This book
is an excellent display of courage and spirituality.
From its beginning -- I feel the emotions of a child
imprisoned by her youth. As the reader, I feel helplessness
as I inherit her emotions. As she gains courage I feel
a great sense of encouragement. For me, the climax was
found in 'Gentler Times'. Through god's gentleness,
she is able to forgive herself of her mistakes. Indeed
god's grace is infinite, and I consider it a privilege
to share in the recovery of her stolen dreams. This
book is an emotional treasure that should be shared
with all who dream. (Rodney S. Myers-- Memphis, Tennessee
a 32-year old researcher, April 6, 2000) Amazon.com
Review
-Rodney Myers |
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Poetry
in Motion
