Sapphira Olson's Stanley Park was published by BLAM! Productions in August 2019.
About Sapphira Olson:
Sapphira Olson was born in Bryansk, Russia. Her mother was Russian and her father was an American born in Minnesota. Sapphira emigrated to American when she was still a child, but currently lives in England.
When not writing she loves spending time in the countryside and enjoys watching Audrey Hepburn movies and listening to Dido and Caravan Palace.
Click here to visit her official website.
About Stanley Park:
A sorrow has taken root in my heart, and although it hurts every day I know there is a place where we laugh together under an open sky.
To that sanctuary, I am travelling.
This is that story.
Stanley Park is a collection of 35 poems from Parables author Sapphira Olson charting the story of two lovers through history as they are separated and then reunited all within the island of Stanley Park in Vancouver. Olson weaves a beautiful and poignant narrative through a progression of emotional poetry taking the reader on a journey of hope driven by love.
Incorporating poems inspired by Squamish Nation history & legends, the collection explores themes of immortality, love, loss, the nature of consciousness and culture.
Stanley Park itself is a beautiful 405-hectare public park that borders the downtown of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada and is mostly surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay. The park has a long history and was one of the first areas to be explored in the city.
"What shall it profit you if you turn the whole world into a gasometer and lose your own souls?"
Thomas H. Mawson about Stanley Park in his 1912 address to the Canadian Club.
REVIEW: STANLEY PARK BY SAPPHIRA OLSON
Sapphira Olson's Stanley Park is an atmospheric collection of romantic poems. It's a collection in which contemporary poetry and speculative fiction elements are combined in a spellbinding way. It tells of love between two women through history and reveals how they are separated and reunited in the beautiful Stanley Park in Vancouver.
I was impressed by this poetry book and can easily recommend it to speculative fiction readers, because it's something different. I also recommend it to those who mostly read mainstream fiction, because it has the power to mesmerise many readers who are willing to read poetry. The poems are beautiful, atmospheric and romantic, and you can't help but be touched by them.
Basically this poetry book can be seen as an exploration of hope and love, but there are also other elements and undertones in the poems, because mythological and supernatural elements are wonderfully infused into the poems. One of the most important things why these poems are excellent is the author's way of exploring themes of loss, growth and immortality in a touching way.
Reading this collection feels like stepping into another person's dreams and memories, because you'll see the world through new eyes and begin to marvel at how powerful emotions can be and how strongly one can feel about things. You'll also find yourself fascinated by how the tale of the two lovers progresses and what happens to them.
The beautiful Stanley Park in Vancouver serves as a perfect setting for the poems. Those who have visited this park know how beautiful a place it is with its lush landscapes, magnificent towering trees and totem poles. These poems will transport the reader there amongst the green vistas.
The map at the beginning of this collection allows the reader to see where the poems take place. If you're familiar with the places marked on the map or you've seen pictures of these places, your reading experience will be enhanced. If you haven't seen any pictures of Stanley Park, I suggest that you search for them online, because you'll get more out of the poems when you know what kind of places there are in Stanley Park.
The author writes excellently about LGBT elements in this collection. She also writes well about mythological elements and touches on history and legends that are connected to Stanley Park. Her references to Sagalie Tyee, which means "God", "Creator God" and "Great Spirit", are an important part of some of the poems. Because I've always been intrigued by mythology and myths, I enjoyed reading about Sagalie Tyee and was mesmerised by how this spirit was mentioned in the poems.
Sapphira Olson's Stanley Park is a wonderful poetry collection for readers who love romantic poems. If you enjoy reading poems, please, invest a bit of time into reading this book, because you'll be captivated by its contents. There's something strangely empowering and captivating about the poems that leaves the reader fully satisfied after reading them.