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Against Forgetting: War, Love, and After War by Denise David
Denise David's collection of poems, Against Forgetting, grew out of research and interviews done for a project about the war brides of World War II. The stories revealed by the characters in these poems speak of personal experiences but point to a universal significance through the various themes explored: the moral ambiguity of separating children from parents; the difficulties faced by immigrants; the importance of small acts of humanity in the midst of devastation; and the often unseen importance of women's lives, including the near invisibility of war brides. David's poems show us a grim past that we should not ever forget as well as compassionate and forgiving qualities of humanity that give us hope. POETRY / General ISBN: 978-1-951651-31-2 (print; softcover; perfect bound) Released 5-5-2020 76 pages; 5 color illustrations |
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“Denise David’s excellent collection of narrative and persona poems imparts her empathy with those who experienced the hardship, chaos, dislocation, and grief of global warfare. Divided into three sections—War, Love, After War—Against Forgetting is a sensitive tribute to people of different backgrounds across the world whose stories highlight the impact of war on their lives. The significance of this emotional history is that it chronicles examples of bravery, endurance and resilience in devastating times. In the case of the WWII War Brides, who were often overlooked and misjudged, the poems bring to light their true courage in dealing with separation, sacrifice, loneliness, and homesickness as immigrants in a new land. Their experiences, portrayed with integrity, are an important part of women’s and social history. David’s memory-provoking poems ensure that the poignant accounts of the storytellers are shared and also passed on to inspire future generations. I thoroughly recommend this book.” “I am humbled by this precious book, Against Forgetting. It is so sensitive, artfully phrased, and powerful. Reading it brought tears and goosebumps. I know precisely what it feels like to leave my homeland by ship and to hold in my words because a Kiwi accent made me—a shy 9-year-old—a spectacle on the prairies in the 1950s.” |
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Carol Smallwood, “Interview with Denise David,” Midwest Book Review, June 2020 |
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Denise David is a teacher, writer, scholar, wife, mother, and grandmother, but before any of that she was born the daughter of a British war bride, and that has made all the difference.
