Bridget W. Rodriguez pulls no punches in this new poetry collection about her family legacy and life story. Her work is candid but never loses its whimsical touch or poignant tone. Rodriguez acknowledges that some of the people she has met in her life have let her down, but she never lets that rob her of her hope and faith. It is this optimism that makes her such an inspiring teacher for her high school students and allows her work to touch so many hearts and lives.
Rodriguez's first poem immediately sets the tone of her collection and portrays a powerful ode to the many "Franks" who have touched her life. Rodriguez juxtaposes the journey of her ancestor, Freedom Frank, from Ireland with the journey of her ex-husband, another Frank, from Cuba. Rodriguez shows how the past influences the present and how her own family legacy extends into an unknown future.
Other poems celebrate the joys and challenges of motherhood, illuminate the grief of losing siblings at young ages, and reflect on Rodriguez's childhood. She shares a heartbreaking family secret and her own hopes for a better future surrounded by the many people she is honored to call family.