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Feeling My Way Through the Midlands: Poetic Perspectives on Life After Loss
Are you lost in an emotional middle ground after losing a loved one? You’re not alone.
Narrating a widower’s grief journey, Feeling My Way Through the Midlands is more than simply a story of the loss of a loved one. It movingly articulates and validates the turbulent emotions and lessons learned in the grieving, while renewing faith and hope for life after loss.
At age forty-one, Chris Martin’s life changed forever when he suddenly lost his wife of twenty years to cancer. With refreshing vulnerability and authenticity, this book traces his story of loss and his emotions along the often-confusing road of grief shared through a series of reflective insights, interwoven with a combination of narrative and more than ninety heartfelt poems. It grapples with the difficult parts of the grief andDeep sorrow
At the same time, it keeps sight of an eternal perspective based in faith in God, reflecting on legacy, gratitude, contentment, and hope in the midst of it all.
Part grief memoir, part grief poetry book, and part guidebook for grievers, Feeling My Way Through the Midlands is a supremely relatable walk through the aftermath of the loss of a loved one, helping those experiencing grief share, embrace, and express their own emotions as part of their grieving process while moving forward toward healing one day at a time.
A balance of raw emotion, encouragement to keep going, and faith, hope, and wisdom for the road ahead, this book is a valuable companion on the grief journey for any griever, but especially for the grieving widower or widow.From reader
"Chris takes us into the raw and the real of a life well-lived but gone too soon... This [is] a captivating story that will transform your healing journey."
"...engaging and heartfelt, drawing you in with his candor and vulnerability...this book will be a blessing to many that have endured the loss of a loved one."
"This book was truly heartfelt and beautiful, and I absolutely loved it!"
"...manages to encapsulate the myriad of experiences around profound love and loss with such grace and memorability...and gently offers the wisdom and healing he has gleaned from his journey with the Lord through unexpected loss. No matter your stage of life, I believe this beautiful book will bless you deeply."
Narrating a widower’s grief journey, Feeling My Way Through the Midlands is more than simply a story of the loss of a loved one. It movingly articulates and validates the turbulent emotions and lessons learned in the grieving, while renewing faith and hope for life after loss.
At age forty-one, Chris Martin’s life changed forever when he suddenly lost his wife of twenty years to cancer. With refreshing vulnerability and authenticity, this book traces his story of loss and his emotions along the often-confusing road of grief shared through a series of reflective insights, interwoven with a combination of narrative and more than ninety heartfelt poems. It grapples with the difficult parts of the grief andDeep sorrow
At the same time, it keeps sight of an eternal perspective based in faith in God, reflecting on legacy, gratitude, contentment, and hope in the midst of it all.
Part grief memoir, part grief poetry book, and part guidebook for grievers, Feeling My Way Through the Midlands is a supremely relatable walk through the aftermath of the loss of a loved one, helping those experiencing grief share, embrace, and express their own emotions as part of their grieving process while moving forward toward healing one day at a time.
A balance of raw emotion, encouragement to keep going, and faith, hope, and wisdom for the road ahead, this book is a valuable companion on the grief journey for any griever, but especially for the grieving widower or widow.From reader
"Chris takes us into the raw and the real of a life well-lived but gone too soon... This [is] a captivating story that will transform your healing journey."
"...engaging and heartfelt, drawing you in with his candor and vulnerability...this book will be a blessing to many that have endured the loss of a loved one."
"This book was truly heartfelt and beautiful, and I absolutely loved it!"
"...manages to encapsulate the myriad of experiences around profound love and loss with such grace and memorability...and gently offers the wisdom and healing he has gleaned from his journey with the Lord through unexpected loss. No matter your stage of life, I believe this beautiful book will bless you deeply."
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 19, 2025
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Chris Martin
1 book6 followersChris Martin is a corporate communications professional and writer with a passion for connecting with people at a heart level. Exploring themes of faith, family, love, and loss, his writing seeks to uplift, comfort, and encourage, while imparting wisdom, insight, and hope.
After he lost his wife of twenty years to cancer, Chris turned to poetry to help process the rollercoaster of emotions he experienced in the grieving. His first book, Feeling My Way Through the Midlands: Poetic Perspectives on Life After Loss, draws on a combination of narrative, interwoven with the poetry he wrote during his grief journey. It's a poetic memoir of his loss and his road of grief, written with the hope that others experiencing grief and loss can identify with and find solace in his words.
Outside of writing, Chris is an avid reader of history, an amateur genealogist, a fan of travel, and enjoys exploring beaches. He lives in the Atlanta, Georgia, area with his two children.
After he lost his wife of twenty years to cancer, Chris turned to poetry to help process the rollercoaster of emotions he experienced in the grieving. His first book, Feeling My Way Through the Midlands: Poetic Perspectives on Life After Loss, draws on a combination of narrative, interwoven with the poetry he wrote during his grief journey. It's a poetic memoir of his loss and his road of grief, written with the hope that others experiencing grief and loss can identify with and find solace in his words.
Outside of writing, Chris is an avid reader of history, an amateur genealogist, a fan of travel, and enjoys exploring beaches. He lives in the Atlanta, Georgia, area with his two children.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 30, 2025
Touching, Warm, and Comforting
Feeling My Way Through the Midlands: Poetic Perspectives on Life After Loss, by Chris Martin is a beautiful, poignant book to help those who are going through a loss. The book is more than a book of poems. The author weaves the poems into the narrative to make the book a poetic journey through grief.
Chris Martin offers valuable insights into grief and puts things into perspective. For example, he details how something as simple as grocery shopping can be heartbreaking. Readers will appreciate the author's honesty. vivid descriptions of feelings, and his portrayal of stages of grief.
The poetry is hauntingly beautiful. Some evoke both laughter and tears. “Unsaid” and “Hole-Hearted” are standouts.
I was captivated by this book from the opening dedication (To Sarah…) and devoured it in a single reading. Then I slowly re-read it. Chris and Sarah’s story has stayed with me even after putting the book down.
If you are experiencing times of grief where you don’t know what to say, let Chris Martin speak for you. His words are touching, warm, comforting, and from a place of understanding. If you are sitting with a sympathy card in front of you, and you don’t know what to say, send a copy of this book instead. The recipient will be eternally grateful on those nights where grief is their only companion.
Feeling My Way Through the Midlands: Poetic Perspectives on Life After Loss, by Chris Martin is a beautiful, poignant book to help those who are going through a loss. The book is more than a book of poems. The author weaves the poems into the narrative to make the book a poetic journey through grief.
Chris Martin offers valuable insights into grief and puts things into perspective. For example, he details how something as simple as grocery shopping can be heartbreaking. Readers will appreciate the author's honesty. vivid descriptions of feelings, and his portrayal of stages of grief.
The poetry is hauntingly beautiful. Some evoke both laughter and tears. “Unsaid” and “Hole-Hearted” are standouts.
I was captivated by this book from the opening dedication (To Sarah…) and devoured it in a single reading. Then I slowly re-read it. Chris and Sarah’s story has stayed with me even after putting the book down.
If you are experiencing times of grief where you don’t know what to say, let Chris Martin speak for you. His words are touching, warm, comforting, and from a place of understanding. If you are sitting with a sympathy card in front of you, and you don’t know what to say, send a copy of this book instead. The recipient will be eternally grateful on those nights where grief is their only companion.
December 5, 2025
Feeling My Way Through the Midlands by Chris Martin is a beautifully written and deeply human journey through grief, healing, and rediscovery. Chris blends narrative reflections with heartfelt poetry, letting readers step directly into the emotional landscape of losing a lifelong partner. His writing is gentle yet powerful honest without being overwhelming, comforting without ever feeling forced.
What makes this book stand out is the way Chris transforms personal heartbreak into universal connection. Anyone who has faced loss will find pieces of themselves in his words moments of confusion, pain, quiet hope, and the slow rebuilding that follows. It’s a book that doesn’t just speak to the grieving; it embraces them.
A tender, insightful, and uplifting poetic memoir. Highly recommended for anyone seeking solace or understanding after loss.
What makes this book stand out is the way Chris transforms personal heartbreak into universal connection. Anyone who has faced loss will find pieces of themselves in his words moments of confusion, pain, quiet hope, and the slow rebuilding that follows. It’s a book that doesn’t just speak to the grieving; it embraces them.
A tender, insightful, and uplifting poetic memoir. Highly recommended for anyone seeking solace or understanding after loss.
March 16, 2025
A Captivating Memoir
Feeling My Way Through the Midlands by Chris Martin is a deeply moving memoir that captures the emotions of grief with profound eloquence. Through a series of heartfelt reflections and over many beautiful poems, Martin takes readers on an intimate journey through loss, loneliness, and the painful yet transformative process of healing. His lyrical use of language draws you in from the very first page, making it impossible to put the book down. With a perfect blend of vulnerability and hope, Martin’s work not only honors his personal experience but also provides comfort to those navigating their own emotional struggles.
This book is a captivating read, one that resonates long after the final page is turned.
Feeling My Way Through the Midlands by Chris Martin is a deeply moving memoir that captures the emotions of grief with profound eloquence. Through a series of heartfelt reflections and over many beautiful poems, Martin takes readers on an intimate journey through loss, loneliness, and the painful yet transformative process of healing. His lyrical use of language draws you in from the very first page, making it impossible to put the book down. With a perfect blend of vulnerability and hope, Martin’s work not only honors his personal experience but also provides comfort to those navigating their own emotional struggles.
This book is a captivating read, one that resonates long after the final page is turned.
May 31, 2025
A beautiful and raw memoir, Chris generously shares the depth of his loss and in doing so also shares the depth of his love for his wife. A story thoughtfully told and interlaced with beautiful and insightful poems he wrote that help your own heart to explore their feelings. A good resource for any going through loss or supporting those with loss.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews