Title: Our Own Westside Love Story: With Word from Tony to Marie Including Poems Born of Enduring Love
Author: Anthony R Balista
Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
ASIN: B0D5K6YPXL
Pages: 74
Genre: Love & Romance / Memoir /Poetry
Reviewed by: Christina Avina
Pacific Book Review
Whether it be fate or chance, the idea of true love has been one that has persisted through the halls of time since the dawn of human civilization. While some believe in persistent love or love that is made through hard work, others give into the idea of destiny taking an interest in two people and bringing them together when the time is right. Now whether that happens for high school sweethearts or two elderly people who meet at the tail end of their lives, true love happens at its own pace and when it is meant to be.
Exploring this concept in the book Our Own Westside Love Story, author Anthony R. Balista shares the heartfelt story of Tony and Marie, two people who spent years within the breath of one another, and yet always somehow missing that chance encounter. Through years of struggle and heartbreak, the author shares the events which eventually bring these two together, and the shared words of love and heart that Tony has for his love, including works of poetry to help express those emotions as well.
Immediately readers will be struck by how straightforward, honest, yet deeply profound the book is. The author’s writing style brought that memoir, non-fiction element to the book while also somehow capturing an almost cinematic quality to the telling of these two people’s lives. The author not only showcases the events that defined the years before they met, but the humble yet emotional beginnings of their relationship as well, including the heart-pounding thrill of their first date and the moment they saw destiny through the lens of their faith as they fell in love.
Balancing out the book with that memoir style of writing was a great series of personal passages from Tony himself, and the poetry that often helped in his journey. The book speaks to those who enjoy a blend of memoir, non-fiction storytelling and poetry with a heavy splash of romance. The emotional weight of the love shared between these two people was greatly felt, especially in the poems, and seeing Tony confront the past and his fears in poems like “Be Not Afraid To Love” and explore the honest reflection of his life with his love made this a gripping tale that is both fast paced and emotionally invested.
This is a story of love lost, love found, and everything in between, this book will instantly grip readers and take them on a journey of romance that will be hard to put down
