Morning Leaves - by Laing F Rikkers (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Steeped in beautiful art and verse that invites reflection, Morning Leaves is the perfect gift book or self-purchase for those grieving the loss of a loved one.

In the wake of the untimely death of the author's younger sister and isolated by the pandemic, Rikkers produced Morning Leaves, a book of vulnerable, evocative, and ultimately hopeful poems. She introduces her story and explains how counseling, the artistic process, and nature helped her through the healing process.

Her poems, paired with Kelly Leahy Radding's stunningly realistic botanical paintings, metaphorically describe the range of emotions she passes through while grieving. Rikkers seizes the opportunity to be attentive to who she is and, more importantly, who she wants to be, leaving space for the reader to do the same. Her writing is soulful, open, and accessible and the artwork is exquisite. Ultimately, readers are invited to reflect on themselves as they address the grief and loss they have experienced in their own lives. Many have found it to be an inspiration for daily reflection and meditation.

AWARD WINS FOR MORNING LEAVES:

2023 FOREWORD INDIES AWARDS WINNER
2023 PUBWEST DESIGN AWARDS WINNER
2024 FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS WINNER GOLD
2024 IBPA BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AWARDS WINNER GOLD

MORE PRAISE FOR MORNING LEAVES:

"The poems within Morning Leaves are tender, compassionate and full of wonder. Laing's writing and Kelly's illustrations are conduits for healing and hope." -Kristin A. Meekhof, co-author of A Widow's Guide to Healing

"So beautifully written and thoughtfully constructed. Visceral. Visual. Vulnerable. The passages cracked open my heart." -Amy K. Hutchens, award-winning speaker and bestselling author of Get It and The Secrets Leaders Keep

"Through Morning Leaves, Laing has found an elegant, beautiful way to deal with her loss. Poetry is so helpful here, isn't it. The book is quite beautiful to look at as well." -Nils Peterson, first Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County and author of The Comedy of Desire

Review Quotes

Beautiful, powerful, humbling, painful, at times terrifying - all one messy mix. It touches somewhere deep. Will read again and again to digest and fuel.--Dr. Elizabeth Andrews, psychologist

Dedicated to [Rikkers'] late sister Ginna, [Morning Leaves] makes a meaningful argument for the power of quiet observation in the midst of chaos, and an appreciation for the beauty and wisdom which is all around.--Anna Holmes, an award-winning writer, editor at publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, and The New Yorker, and founder of the site Jezebel

Everything about Morning Leaves is calming, soothing, peaceful, and then engaging. . . [Laing] has illuminated a road map, of sorts, for each new reader to find their own path forward towards healing and acceptance.--Mel Yoakum, Ph.D., curator and author of Francoise Gilot: Monograph 1940-2000

Laing bravely lifts her raw pain and willingness to listen to the lessons offered by the natural world during her morning walks and waits for the metaphors to be revealed...The striking illustrations by Kelly Leahy Radding perfectly accompany this journey, underscoring its fragility, unique gifts, and profound unfolding beauty.--Kitty O'Meara, bestselling author of And the People Stayed Home, The Rare, Tiny Flower and Oliver and the Night Giants

Morning Leaves is a gift to all who open their eyes to its images and their hearts to its whispers and exhortations.--Faith Salie, Emmy-winning contributor to CBS News Sunday Morning and author of Approval Junkie

Rikkers' beautiful volume demonstrates how artistic endeavors can become healing balms.--Bonnie Smith Whitehouse, Author of Seasons of Wonder: Making the Ordinary Sacred Through Projects, Prayers, Reflections, and Rituals, Afoot and Lighthearted: A Log for Mindful Walking, and Kickstart Creativity: 50 Prompted Cards to Spark Inspiration

So beautifully written and thoughtfully constructed. Visceral. Visual. Vulnerable. The passages cracked open my heart.--Amy K. Hutchens, international award-winning speaker and Amazon bestselling author of Get It and The Secrets Leaders Keep

The poems within Morning Leaves are tender, compassionate and full of wonder. Laing's writing and Kelly's illustrations are conduits for healing and hope.--Kristin A. Meekhof, M.S.W., co-author of A Widow's Guide to Healing

The voice is beautiful, delicate, powerful, rich, relatable, clear, articulate, whimsical and penetrating.--Reverend Elizabeth Uslander, MSW, MTS and co-founder of Empowered Endings Medical Group

This is a beautiful book. I think it will be very helpful to people navigating grief or loss, pointing the way to finding meaning and solace in connecting to plants, animals and the rhythms of nature.--Edward Slingerland, author of Drunk and Trying Not to Try and Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia

Through Morning Leaves, Laing has found an elegant, beautiful way to deal with her loss.--Nils Peterson, first Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County and author of The Comedy of Desire

With spare, lyrical verses, Rikkers brings us into commune with the earth, with all of life; connecting us with ourselves, with each other.--Tucker Malarkey, author of An Obvious Enchantment, Resurrection, and Stronghold

Laing's beautiful poems offer reflections of her deep connection with the simple beauty that exists all around us, and allows the reader a glimpse beyond what the eyes see, into what the soul experiences. The poems are soothing and provocative at the same time.--Dr. Bob Uslander, co-founder of Empowered Endings Medical Group

The story that this book tells is certainly valuable to anyone who has not 'stopped to smell the roses.'--Neal Seltzer, DMD, FAGD, D-ABDSM, D-ACSDD, D-ASBA

This book is for everyone whether grieving or craving a connection to your soul...This is a retreat for your soul. This is a way to connect to your heart. This is a way to slow down and truly see the interconnections of all of life. This is love.--Jessica Zemple, author of Shuck This Way, contributor to the HuffPost, Inc.com, and Forbes, and professional Life and Business Coach

About the Author

Laing F. Rikkers grew up in New York City, attended Harvard College and received an MA in Psychology from Columbia University. She spent eighteen years working in private equity and is a founder and Executive Chairman of ProSomnus Sleep Technologies which develops medical devices for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. She currently lives in Cardiff, California, with her husband, children, and dogs.

Kelly Leahy Radding honors the natural world she loves through her art. She finds all aspects of nature interesting subjects for her paintings. Animals, plants, butterflies, rocks, the sometimes overlooked minute details of Nature, are to her an integral and necessary part of the whole. Kelly grew up in rural Connecticut on the edge of a state forest and has come full circle living on a farm in Columbia, Connecticut at the end of a dirt road surrounded by woods. She shares the farm with her husband, her brother, three gray cats, seven elderly goats and one perfect border collie.