By Marissa Wells
Contributing Writer
“Coming Home in Vietnam,” by Edward Tick, is a moving collection of poetry chronicling the author’s decades long journeys to Vietnam for veterans, survivors, family members, activists, and pilgrims.
“You’re taking a poetic journey through Vietnam, through its history, through its culture, through the war and its aftermath, and into beautiful visions of stories of reconciliation and healing,” Tick said.
The book was inspired by many factors including “the extraordinary healing available by traveling back to the place of trauma and reconciling with the former foe … the depth of need for healing of our veterans and my search for the most comprehensive healing practices … peace making” and more.
It was important for Tick to share his journey with readers.
“These journeys have proven to be extraordinarily successful and helpful in bringing deep healing for survivors,” said the author. “After 20 years of these journeys, and with the pandemic halting them for a few years, I decided to put all my poetry from these journeys into a single volume so readers can share the journeys in this way.”
Inside the book, Tick addresses invisible wounds of war such as post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, moral injury and military sexual trauma. The author also shares healing tools for readers.
“Coming Home in Vietnam” is intended for a wide audience, including those impacted by the Vietnam War, students of culture and history, those concerned with war healing and trauma, and lovers of poetry.
Readers will gain many lessons from the book. Some of the insights Tick hopes readers gain include “understanding and appreciation of ways we can heal war’s visible and invisible wounds … learning that healing from war wounding is indeed possible … appreciation of the greater beauty, goodness and wisdom surrounding those wounds in both countries…” and more.
“Coming Home in Vietnam” is the author’s seventh book.
In addition to being an author and poet, Tick is a psychotherapist. He is based in Massachusetts. For more information about the author and his work, visit mentorthesoul.guide and edwardtick.com.
“Coming Home in Vietnam” is available for $19.95 via Amazon, Tia Chucha Press, and wherever books are sold.
