D. A. Hickman

The Silence of Morning is an astonishing book that should never have been written. I so wish the author, and the many parents like her, had never had to experience the pain that brought the book into being.
This is a book about grief and the loss of a son, not to disease, not to war but to despair. Suicide. The world goes on. Why?
This book is beautifully written but it is not easy to read. It is raw, emotional and does not, cannot, promise any form of solution yet it is worthwhile. Have patience. Read slowly. In return you’ll share a poets insight to life, death and the dark nights of the soul in-between. No matter what you’re dealing with in life you’ll know you’re not the first and you’ll know you’re not alone.… (más)

In Always Returning: The Wisdom of Place, Daisy Hickman pulls us away from the chaos and distraction of daily life and into a place of quiet reflection about the search for simplicity. She shares the love of her roots, the South Dakota prairie which she has returned to as an adult and guides us through her “prairie wisdoms”, weaving together interviews, diaries, quotes from other prairie authors to paint a picturesque and captivating vision of prairie life. Her beautifully written descriptions make one long for the simplicity of prairie life. But she also explores the hardships—severe weather, loneliness, disease:

“The place itself, the prairie and its culture, speaks softly, whisperlike at times, so it can be difficult to capture its essence. Glorious,yes. Splendid and breathtaking, as well. But also stark, expansive, surreal.”

Each chapter is devoted to a different prairie wisdom that can apply universally to anyone whether or not you know the prairie. In learning how the prairie shaped her and “seeped into her heart”, the reader can’t help but relate to how place has shaped them. I was brought up near the Adirondack Mountains and can sense the same connection to the mountains as Daisy has with the prairie. Her writing is lyrical and meditative; simple but provocative of more challenging questions about self-discovery and spiritual journeys. This is not a book to rush through. I read it slowly and savored the wisdom and beauty of her words and message of returning to the place you call home. I highly recommend it.… (más)