Editor-911 Knowledge

Publication date: March 26, 2024

A story of secrets, survival, and strength. 

Shama Shams spent her childhood in her native land of Bangladesh during a time of political turmoil, economic instability, and daily violence. Born the third daughter to her parents, when everyone’s hope was for a son, a namesake, her father loved her unconditionally when her mother did not.

When her father had to flee to the United States to save his life during the Bangladesh War for Independence in the early 1970s, Shama’s mother turned to extreme religion that changed her daughter’s life forever. What followed next, when Shama was six years old, was hell on earth that no child should have to endure. She lived with her mother at a religious compound under the rule of a cruel, abusive, and heartless leader. Shama survived physical, mental, and sexual abuse until she was finally rescued by her grandmother. As Shama waited to be reunited with her sisters who lived with their aunt, she was still not safe in her grandmother’s home. 

When she was ten, Shama’s father returned to move his family to the U.S., and her grandmother swore her to secrecy to keep the stories of her abuse to herself and never tell anyone, especially her father. Shama didn’t understand, but she loved her grandmother and made the promise. In the U.S., it seemed that every time Shama thought life would be okay, she had to survive another tragedy while living with the shame and guilt sexual abuse survivors often do.

This is the true story of what happens when a young girl must fight for her life and confront her family and past to find the truth and to learn about happiness and acceptance as an adult. Now, she’s ready to share her story and help others in She Called Me Throwaway.  

I Hope I Find the Wind is a lively collection of poetry and prose by poet Terry Focht. In these poems and reflections, Focht captures what matters most to all of us in life, but especially in his own, with themes of love and family, God and nature, historical events and cherished memories, overcoming adversity and hardships and hope and joy singing from the pages. Each poem makes you ponder life by offering a question, an observation or a masterfully woven image you will surely recognize from your own life: “How many footprints on winter’s blanket?/ Where are they going those footprints of children on nature’s quilt?”

He tackles tough subjects in this collection, too, such as his granddaughter’s and wife’s illnesses, children at the Mexico/U.S. border, a mother’s exhausting work and social justice issues. However, he also has fun in this collection—you’ll find yourself smiling at the poem, “Thinkin’ About Stuff,” when he writes, “The Secret of a Long Marriage/ Always say, “Yes, dear,” / and you’ll always be right./ The Worst Thing About Politics/ Politicians.”

Not only has Focht created a unique event in each poem and essay, but also the book as a whole tells a story—the story of his life from a kid in the Rust Belt to a husband in love with his wife to a proud father and grandfather. The poems and reflections tell the story of a life, and readers will see themselves in these pages.

This is not a book to read in one sitting or only one time. Look at the poem, “We Are From.” Each time you read it, you will discover another layer of where we are from. “We are from The Great Migration/ Seekers of Freedom/ Men of Steel/ Women of Faith.”

His prose flows from his pen and onto the page, creating nostalgia, especially in “Bell Buckle Cafe.” Readers will want to hurry to Tennessee and grab a piece of pie before they finish the last word.

I Hope I Find the Wind is a fantastic addition to any poetry lover’s shelf, and it also makes a great gift for a poetry lover or for someone who enjoys remembering life the way it used to be while also caring about the world we live in today. Life is full of complexities and simplicities—and so are the writings in I Hope I Find the Wind. It’s a treasure to read and will bring richness long after the pages of the book are closed.