The Torch Carrier (A Poetic Saga of Love)

By Antonio Richardson

Book Overview

The Torch Carrier is a memoir of a young widower.? Antonio who after losing his wife and high school sweetheart Cynthia to Breast Cancer, turns to his journal and nightly dreams about his wife to find... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1410796981
• ISBN13: 9781410796981
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: 1st Book Library
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

The Soul Of A Man

Benjamin Franklin once stated, "Those things that hurt, instruct," which is a summation of Antonio Richardson's memoir The Torch Carrier (A Poetic Saga of Love). This memoir instructs humanity how to stand, with unflinching courage, even when the familiarity of life is upended by a loved one's sickness resulting in an untimely death. Antonio Richardson also teaches us that we can continue to love in spite of life's hardships-but a LOVE like his so many dream of, but few ever grasp. In the author's own words, "The Torch Carrier is the memoir of a young widower, Antonio, who after losing his wife and high-school sweetheart, Cynthia, to breast cancer, turns to his journal and nightly dreams about his wife to find solace in his newly transparent existence." As one progresses into the book, one realizes that Cynthia, Antonio's guardian angel, guides him through the rough terrain of his newfound status as a single father, who is left with the task of rearing three children. And through her nightly visits in his dreams, coupled with her favorite scent freesia, Cynthia also reminds Antonio that he's a man, with much love to give. Although the Torch Carrier is a deep reflection of Antonio's poetic soul, which is liken to pulling back the curtain of his mind and peering into a world of surrealism, it is also a love story par excellence, a love so strong that it reaches beyond the grave. The pain of losing his wife chisels a deep awakening not only in Antonio, but also the reader. It becomes the catalyst of quantum leaps of growth for Antonio, developing an uncanny maturation. Antonio states, "I lived a long life in a short span of time; my trials and tribulations have thickened my skin like rings on a tree, so straight and narrow I've forged my beaten path. Lucid in appearance yet hypnotized by the constant onslaught of responsibility, I catch myself veering as the lines of life go from dashed to solid to dashed again." Yet, Antonio picks up the torch and carries out his duties as a father responsibly, from nightly dinners on the table to baseball leagues. But pain, like all things, is only for a season, and eventually Antonio finds love once more in a woman named Nereida. He says, "It wasn't until I fell in love with Nereida that I discovered the degree to which my life had become so barren." Yes, Antonio Richardson is indeed a blessed man, for he finds a place in his heart for both women. For those ladies who may have thought that the knight in shining armor was nonexistent, I encourage you to pick up a copy of The Torch Carrier. Truly, it's a must read.

One man's journey

In THE TORCH CARRIER, Antonio Richardson retells his journey from discovering his true love to learning to live again once his true love passed. In this poetic saga, a teenaged Antonio struggle as he comes to terms with falling in love. We witness the subsequent marriage and the birth of his children, and we mourn as he loses his wife. Antonio places the reader there as he recounts how he dealt with his wife's prolonged battle with cancer. The reader is there as he begins life as a single father of three school aged children. Readers feel his fear, anxiety, and guilt as time moves on, and he finds his soul mate. We see him wrestle with his emotions until he accepts his wife's death and realizes that she wanted him to truly live life. Antonio Richardson has a poetic voice that flows smoothly and allows the reader to feel his prose. There are areas that could have used a strong editorial hand to help Antonio dig deeper. For example, how he helped his children cope during their mother's battle with cancer and examples of unexpected changes/obstacles when he became a single father and how he overcame them. All in all, THE TORCH CARRIER is a truly inspirational story that sheds light on a difficult, often times dark, journey. (RAW Rating: 3.5) Reviewed by Deatri King-Bey of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers