Laura Foley

Laura Foley’s Sister in a Different Movie is a poignant, deeply personal collection of poems that weaves together threads of family history, memory, grief, and the search for meaning in the aftermath of loss. Dedicated to her sister Claire, the book is both a tribute and an exploration of the complexities of sibling relationships, set against the broader backdrop of familial trauma and healing.

Foley’s poetry is marked by its clarity and emotional honesty. The collection opens with the evocative line, “A sister is like yourself in a different movie, a movie that stars you in a different life,” setting the tone for a meditation on parallel lives and the ways in which siblings both mirror and diverge from one another. Throughout, Foley’s language is precise yet lyrical, as seen in poems like “Small Certainties,” where she reflects on her father’s wartime trauma and its lingering effects on the family: “I was lucky—born fourth of four girls, so Dad had a little more time to get over the war... I learned instead to seek joy in the smallest ways, lining up my toy cats—small, bright certainties in a world still trembling from what came before.”

The collection is rich with sensory detail and vivid imagery, from the “western-facing ocean of afternoon sun” in “The River House” to the “aromas of puddings, soda bread baking” in “Sister in the Old Country.” Foley’s poems often juxtapose moments of beauty and comfort with undercurrents of pain and loss, such as in “Dust of Snow,” where the simple pleasure of snowfall is shadowed by memories of war and personal grief.

The book’s structure, moving from childhood memories to the present, mirrors the process of remembrance and healing. Foley’s ability to find grace and meaning in the midst of sorrow makes this work both universal and deeply individual.

Star rating: 5 Stars

Summary: A moving, beautifully crafted collection that invites readers into the intimate spaces of family life, loss, and renewal.