BOOK REVIEW: TUMAINI: THE CAPTURED STORY OF A BROKEN MAN

Book: Tumaini: The Captured Story of a Broken Man
Author: Jade Novelist
Genre: Poetry Anthology, Memoir

Book Blurb: Tumaini is a poetry anthology written by Jade Novelist, that serves as a partial memoir, a dedication to his late son. In this anthology, Jade uses poetry to retell the story of his relationship with the mother of his son, the loss of his son, and his journey towards healing.

First of all… whew! I believe I went through a roller-coaster of emotions just reading this book. Happiness, sadness, love, depression, hope. Jade Novelist is a genius behind the pen. If you follow him on social media, you know this. His poetry, that he has released through the years, is testament to this genius. He has more than a few anthologies out which are free to download from his website. This will be the first book that he has on sale. It is worth the buy.

I can’t speak about the technicality of the poetry in the book. I am but an amateur poet who has just grown out of the Roses are red kind of poetry. But, I can speak about what I felt when I read it. I can speak about the editing (which was superb). As a reader who has not studied poetry and therefore wouldn’t recognize iambic pentameter and haikus if they hit her in the face, I can speak about what it is I loved about the book. And I loved a lot about the book. I loved the book. Am I gushing yet?

The book is a series of poems that tell the story of pure love between two broken souls that found each other. The first section of the book is dedicated to the love story between Jade and the woman who will be the mother of his child. The meeting and subsequent falling in love. It also tells the story of the anticipation of a new life and the incredible loss, unimaginable pain and the journey towards healing. It is a letter to a son that doesn’t live on this plane of existence anymore. Tumaini is the legacy of this son. It is also a deep reflection into the man Jade is, what made him that way and who he wants to be. His brokenness.

There is something to be said about art and pain. The fact that pain breeds good art. This anthology is really really good art so one can only imagine the depths of pain he had to go through. Although this is purely Jade’s story, the reader will identify with every word written and every emotion conveyed. The impact of this book is in the emotion.Reading his poetry feels like having someone put into words what it was you were feeling. It’s like having someone finally understand what it is you’re going through. It makes you feel less alone.

I lost someone at the end of last year and I have read a lot of things that I have related to. But I did not feel them like I felt these poems. I related deeply to the letters he wrote to his son. I am so sorry that he had to go through that kind of pain. No one should. While he writes about the past with all of it’s pain, he also writes about healing. The journey, not the stop. The up and down of it all. He also tackles patriarchy that called him to be a man in the face of unimaginable loss, sexual abuse, death, anger, love, sex, depression and so much more. A few of the poems made me blush.

Tumaini is a swahili word that means hope. I found, with this book, that while he articulates pain well, he also articulates hope really well. Journey into the mind of this man and you will find a little bit of yourself in there. The words you didn’t know that could articulate your feelings, will be found in the book. You will feel less alone, I know I did.

I was given an Advanced Reviewers Copy for an honest review. I am blessed to call this incredible human being my friend, but I did not even consider my personal relationship with him while writing this review. I don’t know so many things. But I do know that you need to read this book. The book will available on many platforms, including Amazon, on the 19th of July 2020.

Visit his website if you want to have a taste of his poetry before you dive into this one. You can also follow him on his social media for more of his poetry, which really is genius.

Instagram: Jade Novelist

Facebook: Jade Novelist

Twitter: @jadedwords_

Website: https://jadedwords.com/