The Rebecca Review
Amazon.com | FIVE STARS
“I knew that when I left, I would be the only one to rip off my heels and nylons and stick one foot on the seat of my pick-up…”
Kat Ricker’s vivid imagery and snapshot descriptions paint insightful pictures that glow with a luminous clarity. Your soul falls into her writing as she explores mysterious connections and magical realities.
Lost in an October rain, she keeps finding her way onto the wrong bus and meets a man who tells her a secret. In “Mattie’s Orchids” vivid imagery paints emotion. You feel as if you are viewing a painting in an art museum and Kat is telling you the story. “Mrs. Strandedisle” is a story of a woman who suddenly finds herself in a moment open to possibility.
Rarely do I find descriptions that so vividly paint images on the canvas of my mind. The personalities of the characters Kat Ricker describes makes you long to meet them. The profound ending of “Last Dance” left me in a state of nostalgia.
The humorous tale of a mermaid and magical memories of orbs takes the stories to supernatural dimensions. “Box Closed” explores the viewpoint of a postman over the years of delivering mail to one home. The creaking floorboards in “Estate Sale” embody a subtle comfort. You want to wander in the house, lost within yourself. Each selection is an inspired moment in time, layered with carefully chosen conversations. The changing voices add intrigue, while the deep sense of human connection in her work is inspirational.
“I like to slip out when the house is all quiet,” she whispers.The moon never looked so bright. Don’t tell Mother,but I made a secret wish,and tomorrow there’ll be orchids on the lawn.”
I read “Something Familiar” on my deck as the sun was rising on a cool summer morning. As I sipped my tea, I couldn’t help thinking about how Kat’s writing has the comfort of cinnamon, the surprise of ginger and the mystique of star anise. Her writing is not only a journey into her magical mind; her writing will inspire a new clarity in your existence. After reading her work, I started to see the world in a more poetic way, as if the world was more complete when intricately described.
If you are a writer, this is one of the top 10 books you should read in your lifetime. The writing style teaches you more than a book on writing ever could. Something Familiar awakens a new beauty in the everyday existence and contains the essence writers seek and few ever find. Kat Ricker has captured a magical connection between souls within a world of words.
