Life Lessons From the Color Yellow by Patricia Walkow

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MWSA Review

Patricia Walkow's Life Lessons from the Color Yellow is a captivating and thought-provoking book that will leave a lasting impression on its readers. Written by an author experienced with life, this book offers stories told from various points of view from various locales. All stories are mined from the author’s personal history and span the globe from California, New York, and Peru to the Italian seaside. Yellow appears as a symbol throughout the lives of the characters that inhabit the pages. Through a series of engaging and well-crafted stories, the author explores the many ways in which yellow can be seen as a symbol of hope, positivity, and transformation.

The book is comprised of eight stories from different points of view and at various stages within life. The author has a gift for storytelling, and each story captures the protagonist’s life intimately. Walkow’s characters whether a young inquisitive child, a woman recalling a summer romance, or a neighbor mourning the loss of an almost friend are genuine characters readers will want to meet.

Readers looking for a quick absorbing read should pick up a copy.

Review by Elvis Leighton (May 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

An unusual memoir, Life Lessons from the Color Yellow relates memorable people and events in the author’s life. Like puzzle pieces, the stories coalesce into a comprehensive image that reveals what shaped the life and philosophy of the writer. As she wrote these stories, Ms. Walkow was surprised to find the color yellow kept surfacing as an important element. She decided to publish the stories in this small, yet deeply rich volume of memorable tales. 

Each story reveals something the author incorporated into her spirit. There is a lesson from an elderly gardener, a premonition about a dog walking against a yellow wall, and the evolution of the meaning of a yellow kitchen. The reader will discover love surrounded by lemons, a woman who only wore yellow, a golden meadow that heard the dreams of teenage girls, and a yellow box that held a young woman’s future. 

From betrayal to love, from heartbreak to happiness, in memoir, narrative non-fiction, and essay, yellow is an essential element in each of these tales.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 130

Word Count: 16,177