Learning to Swim
Through a series of short, free verse poems, Ann Turner
tells a dark and painful story of her traumatic summer spent with her family,
friends, and an abusive older boy that lives near her summer vacation house.
Written from the first person perspective, the reader is forced to imagine some
of the horrific experiences that were encountered by a naïve, innocent little
girl. Turner captures not only the pain and confusion endured during her youth
but also the emotional turmoil that has haunted her since that dreadful
summer.
This book has some brief moments of graphic violence and
sexual abuse, making it hard to digest at times, but the overall message is
extremely uplifting and optimistic. Turner writes: “These poems are a testimony
to the healing power of words”. Her book aims to inspire her readers with hope,
courage, and strength so that they might be able to find ways of coping with
their own problems, rendering this book an appropriate read for only mature students
of the middle school age or higher.
The collection of poems reads quickly and easily but it is
not without a variety of useful literary devices. Turner exemplifies
descriptive writing with this work and displays her skilled use of similes,
metaphors, personification, and imagery proving this text’s worth in a
secondary level classroom.
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