I lost summer somewhere

by Sarah Russell

Melancholy, exuberance, nostalgia, fulfillment, contentment, longing—Sarah Russell hits all the spots, and there isn’t one poem where a woman won’t be able to identify in some way. She’s singing all our songs, putting into magical words things we felt so often but never knew how to tell. This book has deep sadness matched by laughter, gentleness, love and a sense of adventure. It was a privilege being there with her, living what she remembers, identifying with every line. “‘I want to live,’ she said, / and this time I knew / she didn’t mean forever.” Indeed—who hasn’t been there. I LOST SUMMER SOMEWHERE is a book of poetry you will find difficult to put down. A rare gift, a gentle journey from life’s morning into the evening, and deeply moving. —Rose Mary Boehm, author of Tangents, From the Ruhr to Somewhere Near Dresden, and Peru Blues Sarah Russell brings us into her world, a world of “dream-filled summer nights,” where “leaves are October butterflies.” Readers will connect with poems about love found and lost, the end of a long marriage, illness, new love, aging, and death. Russell’s poems sing the important moments of life. It’s a song that stays in your mind, drawing you back to the poems again and again. —Nina Bennett, author of Mix Tape and The House of Yearning Sarah Russell’s poems don’t have to crawl under your skin. They have always been there. If you haven’t known a suicide or gone through divorce or cancer, you’ve known the fear. If you’ve never had a love you’d marry twice if you had three lives, you’ve felt the longing. Russell may have lost summer somewhere, but she has found what makes us human. —Alarie Tennille, author of Waking on the Moon and Running Counterclockwise

Genres: Poetry

78 pages, Paperback

Published April 20, 2019

About the author

Sarah Russell has returned to poetry after a career teaching, writing and editing academic prose. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication Theory from the University of Colorado. Her work has been published in Kentucky Review, Red River Review, Misfit Magazine, Right Hand Pointing, Third Wednesday and Psaltery and Lyre, among other print and online journals and anthologies. She has awards from Goodreads, Poetry Nook, and is a Pushcart Prize nominee. Her first poetry collection I lost summer somewhere received honorable mention for the 20!8 Concrete Wolf Louis Award and was published in 2019 by Kelsay Press. She lives in State College, Pennsylvania with her husband Roy Clariana. They spend summers in Colorado to be near children and grandchildren.

Reviews

[Marijana☕✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

"If I Had Three Lives" je najbolje što je napisala.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not going to post a detailed review because I provided a blurb, but I loved this book. I'm enjoying it even more on re-read, because now I'm letting the poems wash over me and settle, not considering aspects to point out in a review, just reading them for the unadulterated pleasure

[Jessica Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had Three Lives.

[Braylon · Rating 3 out of 5]

some good stuff! others didn’t resonate with me, but I think this would be great for older audiences 🫶🏼

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I'm not giving this book a full five stars is that Goodreads has a rating system based on your subjective experience of the book, so "I really liked it" is the honest answer. The poems were superb. Vivid. Very well crafted. I often found myself saying "ouch" after a poem because it had so much bite. So, in an objective sense, five stars -- but three or four in a subjective sense, as I found many of the poems rather bitter-tasting and difficult to relate to. This has more to do with my outlook and experience of life, though, and I know that there are plenty of readers who will find it deeply relatable. I definitely recommend it. :)

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read one poem by Russell that I enjoyed, so I figured I’d support her with a book purchase. The concept is nice for how she tries to get to the heart of some of life’s most poignant moments across different stages of a life, but only a few pieces resonated with me. The rest felt more like filler or somehow forced.

[Alarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished rereading Sarah Russell's wonderful book tonight, five years after writing this blurb, and her words, if anything, touch me even more now.

"Russell’s poems don’t have to crawl under your skin – they’ve always been there. If you haven’t known a suicide, divorced, or gone through cancer, you’ve known the fear. If you’ve never had a love you’d marry twice if you had three lives, you’ve felt the longing. Russell may have lost summer somewhere, but she has found what makes us human."

[Kyle O’Keefe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed several poems in this collection, but they weren’t all for me. Believe it or not I found this on tiktok! A good read, I’m happy to have it on my shelf and loan to other, and I can see myself revisiting my favorites.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely adore

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5ish
Loved The first part! But then it kinda lost the spark (maybe as someone wrote on their review, it’s an age thing)
If I had three lives was so beautifully written.
Overall I enjoyed the book

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars - I loved it

This was my first book of poetry and I loved it! Especially "If I had Three Lives". This sits on my nightstand and I read that poem often.

[David Joyner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone talks about If I Had Three Lives, but so many others were delightfully punches in the gut. Very Billy Collins-esque while tackling different subject matter.