Title: Awakened by My Angels (Learning to Heal)
Author: Maxine Allen Rifenburgh
Publisher: BalboaPress
ISBN: 978-1504371292
Pages: 125
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by: Lisa Brown-Gilbert
Hollywood Book Reviews
A heartfelt work which offers cathartic relief, author Maxine Allen Rifenburgh’s, Awakened by My Angels presents a collection of her poetic works which traces her emotion rending journey through surviving an abusive marriage.
Abuse originating from a loved one, whether it be a parent, spouse, partner, mate, friend, etc. is never an easy road to travel. Overall, you may lose touch with your faith, self-esteem and life in general. It can often feel like you are in a war with an undefeatable foe, and there is something terribly wrong with you or you are even being punished by God. However, there are others who have been through that oppressive emotional gamut, who are willing to share their journey to survival, lighting the dark path with illuminations such as hope, faith, insight and strength, as what is offered throughout author Rifenburgh’s poetic works.
Starting out, readers will note this is not just another collection of poems but more like a teaching tool as it demonstrates a form of self-healing through self-expression/writing, letting go, following your intuition, listening to your angels, as well as taking back your power from your abuser by having faith in yourself.
Moreover, author Rifenburgh presents the backstory on her life, expressing the heartbreaking details of her imbalanced marriage with raw, unfiltered honesty. She divorced after having been married and abused in silence for twenty-four years, aiding her own healing by finally leaving her situation, and keeping a vow to help others going through situations similar to hers. Although she did experience other imbalanced relationships thereafter it was when she began to open up to listening to the messages from her angels that she was able to see beyond the mask of others and make better decisions.
Wholly, in its entirety the book presents is an emotion rending collection of insightful mentation and relatable, emotionally succinct poems. However, while all of the poems in the book are wonderfully expressive as well as illuminating, there are a few which truly stand out, to me, Box of Sorrow, Pieces of Me, Clarity, One Shares, Words of Angels, and Done.
Moreover, Awakened by My Angels by Maxine Allen Rifenburgh altogether made for a galvanizing read, which I found to be both touching and edifying. I highly recommend this book as author Rifenburgh’s story is important for others in similar situations to make note of as within her journey lies the keys to reclaiming yourself from the demons who wield domestic violence.