Review by Bruce Harding, JM Northern Media

Mother and daughter collaborate on this coffee table collection, weaving Ayn's poetry around the paintings of artist Gwen. The result is a visually stunning and introspective book that's a perfect gift for the spiritual person in your life. The interplay of color and words grew out of a desire by Ayn Cates Sullivan to create a book dedicated to her mother's art. Inspired by those visual works, she began writing poems that matched the art, and soon realized that they were co-creating a book. Renewal is a theme of the work, as both contributors were battling through life situations during its creation. The strength of those efforts is reflected in the work. Sullivan said of that time, "We painted, wrote poetry, told stories and healed together."

The book ends with a tribute by Gwen Cates's younger brother, Franklin Foster, who writes of his experience with Gwen, and Ayn's own salute to her mother's work. This uplifting book is designed to be slowly savored by anyone with a spiritual side. Drink in the images, reflect on its accompanying words, and enter a mythic adventure that will inspire the reader to be centered and calm in the midst of life's chaos.