A review by hannahleelovestoread
Heartstrings: A Poetic Memoir by Frankie Hau

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

In Heartstrings: A Poetic Memoir, author Frankie Hau offers readers a uniquely beautiful portrait of his life story. He explores the concepts of nostalgia, love, loss, choices, perseverance, timeliness, and longing for peace, all through the captivating medium of poetry. With verses which I daresay would bring a tear to any eye, readers are along for the ride as Hau recalls his experiences with attraction, love, and romance; then with tension, conflict, and heartbreak. As if his lyrical expressions weren’t haunting enough in meaning alone, he also takes the daring and stylistically difficult risk of an organized rhyme scheme — and, of course, the execution is immaculate. Easily the most resounding poem in the collection, “Myr” recounts the horrors of children living in currently wartorn Ukraine. In such a deeply personal book, its impact was intense. Overall, this book is not one I will soon forget, and I recommend it to all readers.