Book Review

The Hell With Love: Poems to Mend a Broken Heart
by Mary D. Esselman and Elizabeth Ash Velez
Publisher: Warner Books
Published: January 2002

| About the Book | About the Author | The Review | Where to Order | Free Chapter

About the Book
Passionate, edgy, funny, and profound, THE HELL WITH LOVE is for anyone who has ever suffered the pain of breaking up—and everyone who believes in the unique power of poetry to console and transform.

We've all been there...probably more often than we'd care to admit. Interpreted by a pair of wise and witty editors, these poems make up a one-of-a-kind collection that helps you through the classic stages of heartbreak. From John Donne to Margaret Atwood, from Pablo Neruda to Gwendolyn Brooks, here are poems that dig into the hurt and anger, poems that bring comfort and perspective, and poems that encourage you to get over your ex and move on.

About the Authors
Mary D. Esselman
Mary D. Esselman is a reporter for People® magazine.

Elizabeth Ash Velez
Elizabeth Ash Velez is a reporter for People® magazine.

The Review
The title, The Hell With Love, belies the actual content and feeling behind most of the writings found in this touching collection. I assumed that it would be all angry, vengeful and perhaps a bit defeatist in it's attitude. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. :) But it follows through the stages of a heartbreak. (And anyone that's had a broken heart knows these stages well.) I was surprised by how deep feeling, and how relatable it was to read. I sometimes burst out laughing, not just because it was funny, (and it was funny) but because it says the exact same things I have said at times in my life. Which is what I liked most about The Hell WIth Love - it made it OK to have the feelings you have after a break-up. All of them. You just know by reading it that you aren't the only one who has felt that way.

I don't know if I can emphasize enough what a great gift this is for any brokenhearted friends. I would have appreciated it during some of my past break-ups. With Valentine's Day this month I know I'll be giving a copy to a good friend going through a divorce.

~Trixie, February 2002

Where to Buy
Amazon.com

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