Description:
If you are or ever have been in a tumultuous relationship where abuse or addictions were an issue, Words Never Spoken - A Poetry Journal for Healing will help you begin the process.
Brief description: Cheryl Bannerman is a multi-genre author of ten, yes ten, published works of fiction. Not a Jack of All Trades but a Jane of all Genres! Her passport to literary realms is more colorful than a rainbow riding a unicorn through a Skittles factory.Her journey into writing began in 2009 and after only five years of self-publishing various titles, she won the 2018 Book Excellence Award for her book of poetry, Words Never Spoken, a self-improvement book offering lines for journaling and healing from an abusive relationship.In 2020, her first book, Black Child to Black Woman: An African-American Woman Coming-of-Age Story, won the Best Books Awards in the category of African American fiction and, in 2021, the Reader's Favorite International Book Award Contest in the Urban Fiction category. If you want a taste of her sarcastic, quirky humor, check out her top seller-the hilarious, award-winning Anna Romano Murder Mystery series on paperback, eBook, and audiobook - which was a Semi-Finalist in the MLC Audiobook Awards with a 2020 IMDb Nomination for Book 1, Cats, Cannolis, and a Curious Kidnapping.Bannerman's creativity knows no bounds, and her wacky imagination game is stronger than a gym full of Arnold Schwarzeneggers. So, welcome aboard the Jane of all Genres train for the ride of your life! Stay curious, stay witty, and remember, when life gives you lemons, bake an apple pie. I think that's how the saying goes. Anyway, Arrivederci! Connect with the author, purchase signed copies of her books, and sign up for the monthly newsletter at www.bannermanbooks.com.
Review Quotes:
Reviewed by Patricia Reding for Readers' Favorite
"My initial reaction on reading several of the poems in Words Never Spoken, by Cheryl Denise Bannerman, was: "Wow. What pain. What honesty." Set forth in seven parts, following the subject's life struggles, the book invites readers to consider a series of questions at the end of each chapter (making this a possible group study guide). The "About the Author" section at the back of the book provides: "Although this author's works are fiction, she has incorporated many of her personal life's experiences into her stories." I do not know if the life experiences in these poems are the author's own, or if they belong to others she knows, but without a doubt, they are real, raw, personal, and stripped down to base emotions. The reader finds herself encouraging the subject to rise above, mourning for her when she is victimized, and finally, celebrating in her triumph.
Cheryl Denise Bannerman's poems in Words Never Spoken begin with a single mother, newly divorced, at forty years of age, clinging to her faith. Before long, she meets Mr. Wonderful. But is he? From the outside looking in, it is fairly easy to see the control this person exercises, the advantages he takes, and the pain he is sure to cause. Yet the reader finds she can make no judgment. We all know the phenomenon that occurs in these circumstances, the belief that this time it will be different, the quick denial that can convince us that what is happening is not really happening. Soon the subject of these poems finds herself able to acknowledge the reality of Mr. Wonderful's mood swings and addictions. Bannerman's introduction to Chapter 3 reads: "Girl, let me school you . . ." And "school you," she will. Here the physical and emotional abuses begin, as Mr. Wonderful rubs his cheating in her face and sends her self-esteem spiraling downward, opening the door to her utter desperation and depression.
The author's word choices and phraseology at times display not only her own personal unique voice, but also that of a culture. Yet the truths they illustrate transcend all cultures. Thus, the author's phrasing at times will shock the reader into the moment. She will find herself spellbound by Cheryl Denise Bannerman's deep honesty in Words Never Spoken, because she will be able to identify with her, in one way or another, from pains experienced in her own life."