The Warrior - by Frances Richey (Paperback)

About the Book

A poignant, accessible, and emotionally arresting book told in 28 poems, "The Warrior" speaks to the world of those who wait while their loved ones are in combat. Richey offers a heart-wrenching memoir of a mother grappling with the reality of her son at war in Iraq.

Book Synopsis

A "heart-rending"(Anna Quindlen, Newsweek) memoir-in-verse that speaks to a mother's love for her son

When Frances Richey's only child, Ben, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Green Beret, went on the first of his two deployments to Iraq, she began to write the twenty-eight unflinching poems that make up The Warrior. This urgent and intensely personal collection describes the world of those who wait while their loved ones are in combat or perilous situations; it is universal in its expression of the longing, anguish, love, and hope that constitute close relationships.

Review Quotes

"Even if you don't have a son fighting in Iraq, even if you don't read poetry, even if you think you are immune to the power of a mother's lament-pick up this book and read it right away."
-Stephen J. Dubner

"Powerful . . . authenticity burns in every line."
- Chicago Tribune

"A lifeline across a deadly chasm for every reader."
-Gloria Steinem

About the Author

Frances Richey was born in Williamson, West Virginia and grew up in Charleston, WV. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. After working in the business world for almost two decades, she left to teach yoga and write. She is the author of one previous collection of poetry, The Burning Point, which won the White Pine Press Poetry Prize and was released in 2004.