About the Book
What if the distance between what you have loved and lost is not so far after all?
What if, as the Sparrow flies, there's a way through loneliness, grief, betrayal, and the aches of sacrificial love, that feels lighter-more freeing?
Such is the journey the reader takes in as the Sparrow flies. "A companion for the aches of love," as the Sparrow flies takes the reader on a deeply personal, yet universal journey. Through the aches of long distance relationships and starting over in new places; to the agony of grief in the loss of loved one; to the anguish of betrayals, friendship breakups and religious trauma; and finally-through the beautiful and sharp ache that is loving one's children-discover the way that "loving's ache/ and every break/ find their solace/ in the Divine/ embrace."
Accompanied by exquisite, original artwork by the talented Bethanie Pack, as the Sparrow flies takes the reader on a poetic journey through the nuanced layers of the grief that comes with love.
About the Author :
Grace E. Kelley is a follower of Jesus, a wife, and mother of five, including a set of boy/girl twins. She graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelors in Creative Writing and a double emphasis in Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction. She writes poetry and stories-both fictional and non-fictional, and occasionally enjoys the opportunity to speak. She is also a farmer, a foodie, an unrepentant mug addict, and a deep believer that incredible beauty can come from the compost heap. Bethanie Pack is a contemporary landscape painter located in Denver, Colorado. She began her art career as an abstract artist fascinated with the challenge of creating form from the formless-asking questions such as "what is the color of innocence?" or "how can line depict ache or desperation?" This fascination with abstraction and mark-making followed Bethanie into her current representational landscape work, begging her to consider the intangible feelings a person experiences in nature, such as awe and wonder, when making decisions on form and color.
Review :
"This is a beautiful book for the lonely, the grieving, the heartbroken, and those who are healing. As Grace elevates ordinary, everyday experiences of loss and change, friendship and motherhood, we are invited to look life's painful realities right in the face and see love looking back at us." -Christie Purifoy, author of Placemaker and Garden Maker
"We need the poets to help us translate our biggest feelings, our worst days, our highest highs our ugliest doubts. Grace wraps language around the pain of friendship fractures, "she didn't have time just then / so I let her go/ hot tears in my throat", the ache of mothering "your roots spread and shred / and break me apart," and all the colors of love, "Holy is the heart that breaks." Whatever you're in the middle of, Grace will keep you company there and help make sense of it." -Lisa-Jo Baker, bestselling author of Never Unfriended and co-host of the Out of the Ordinary Podcast
"This collection of poems has gripped my heart and won't let go. Imagine reading the Psalms, in all of their yearning and lament, and then realizing that the writer isn't speaking of Old Testament armed battles, but modern-day trials that speak to the reader's experience in new, powerful ways. This was my experience with as the Sparrow flies. As Kelley cries out to God about the loneliness of friendships lost, the trauma of complications in childbirth, conflict within one's spiritual community, and much more, she gives language to some of life's deepest heartaches in ways that brought tears to my eyes and healing to my heart. Several times, I audibly gasped, in awe of how Kelley seemed to know my innermost thoughts for which I haven't yet found words. This poetry is an essential companion for anyone who grieves, anyone who wrestles with God, anyone whose questions feel unanswered. Kelley sits in that in-between space with the reader, giving voice to our most crushing disappointments and then, ever so gently, opening our eyes to the kind, gentle Savior who has never left our side."- Ellie Hunja, author of Blessings, New Mom: A Women's Devotional
"I read as the Sparrow flies in one sitting, and it is now a new favorite on my shelf. Within these tender pages, I found echoes of my own ache and longing-different in the details, and yet, somehow the same. Grace writes with a wisdom and hope that has been weathered. With every word, she generously holds out her hands, offering us pieces of her humanity. She sits down beside us in the shadows, and with one hand around our shoulders, reminds us how terribly stunning it is to be person and how infinitely we are held." -Sarah E. Westfall, author of The Way of Belonging and host of Human Together
"This is, without a doubt, a debut collection of poetry that deftly explores the depths of love, grief, belonging, and faith, with a deep tenderness and skill...Her words are always upheld by her deep faith, but there is no attempt to make this the spine of her work. She so clearly lives what she believes and draws the reader into each poem without force. A wonderful collection!" -Liezel Graham, author, poet, & textile artist.
