Potter's House Press

… Drawing inspiration from the landscapes of Cornwall and the paintings of J.W. Waterhouse, Isaacson writes with a voice that is both intimate and grand, grounding the sacred in the everyday. There’s a constant motion between the personal and the mythical. Her words rise like tides, returning again and again to resilience, devotion, and the endurance of beauty in chaos.

I’d rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. . . Isaacson’s use of classical structures feels intentional rather than old-fashioned, and her spiritual undertones carry real weight. Readers who love poetry that feels lush, symbolic, and unapologetically emotional will find this collection rewarding.

—Shey Saints, reviewer

​Storm Watcher reads like standing on a cliff at dawn. Quiet, reverent, and filled with light. Emily Isaacson’s words rise and fall like waves, carrying deep faith and the echoes of classical art. I loved the blend of spirituality and human experience in her verses. It’s a collection that rewards slow reading and reflection.

—Harmonia, reviewer

​I didn’t expect to be so moved by Storm Watcher. The poems felt like walking through someone’s memories and prayers all at once. I could almost hear the sea and feel the loneliness she writes about. Isaacson’s writing reminded me that poetry can still be emotional without being sentimental.

—Bulletproof Girl, reviewer

Emily Isaacson’s Storm Watcher combines poetic discipline with emotional vulnerability. Her command of sonnet and requiem forms gives structure to raw personal themes like faith, illness, and endurance. Some sections are dense, but the collection’s sincerity and beauty shine through. It’s an ambitious work that bridges tradition and modern sensibility.

—Jiminie Mochi, reviewer

Ageless Confessions by Lilith Street was a fascinating read. I felt invited into the world of eating disorders and mental illness and was deeply touched by this experience. . . felt how important every single sentence was for the emotional truth of the narrative. I could feel the struggle for health and control over the characters' lives as well as the enchantment of being immersed in the seductive side of the illness. As an artist myself, I especially appreciated how arts (literature, poetry, painting, dancing, singing) were a lifeline for the characters throughout their lives. Through research, I discovered that some aspects of the book touch upon real places, making the narrative a fascinating mix of real and imagined. I was amazed by the author's care and skill in crafting this narrative with so much fine detail and images. I really appreciated the opportunity to be introduced to this world that I didn't know anything about.

– TATJANA MIRKOV-POPOVICKY, artist

Past President of the Federation of Canadian Artists

 

Ageless Confessions has deep connections to the history of the city of Victoria. I know Ross Bay and Fairfield area as our grandmother lived close by and we walked and explored that area as children.

–T.M. BROADWORTH

Author of A Poets Passion Revisited

 

Street's focus on female heroines as protagonists is compelling, her storyline is engaging, and her prose is lovely.

–LYNN EDDY, fiction critic

Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Agency

 

Street writes in such a way that you can almost smell the balmy seas and fresh air, feel the pain of the person standing before you, and see the towering castle covered with moss in its glorious setting. Each character comes alive off the pages and seems to appear in front of you. I encourage anyone who enjoys learning about people, wants to feel refreshed from experiencing a unique perspective of many different kinds of people throughout history, and travel to the four corners of the world on the written page . . . buy this inspiring book.

–DR. PRESTON BAILEY, Ph.D. Psychologist

 

There’s definite promise in Street’s prose, as she has a knack for poetic description: "When kindness would rule as a queen, the night would be star-thick, spelling joy from one generation to the next."  . . . respectably ambitious.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

        

Love in the Time of Plague by Emily Isaacson is a thoughtful and expansive poetry collection that blends history, faith, personal reflection, and emotion. The book opens with a narrative-style piece about Carnelian, the apothecary’s daughter, setting the tone for a journey that spans centuries, cultures, and inner worlds. The poems cover everything from quiet moments of beauty to the weight of grief and loss, often drawing on religious and classical imagery. The collection isn’t built around a single storyline but offers a wide range of voices and scenes that loosely tie together through recurring themes like healing, memory, and resilience. Overall, I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars.

—Shey Saints, Editor and Reviewer

Love in the Time of Plague is dense, layered, and honestly kind of massive. But if you like poetry that feels like wandering through a library and a church at the same time, you’re in for a treat.

—Jiminie Mochi, reviewer

You drift through eras, images, and moods like walking through a cathedral filled with stained glass and whispers of memory. Some parts read like historical fantasy and others feel like personal prayer. . . The way the poems echo each other, especially the ones about Notre Dame and the recurring garden motifs, kept me emotionally anchored.

—Bulletproof Girl, reviewer

​What I appreciated most is that Isaacson doesn’t just write characters; she composes them like music - layered, expressive, and ancient in soul. The subtle power dynamics, philosophical undertones, and historical atmosphere around Carnelian make her more than a figure. She’s mythic.

—Harmonia, reviewer

       

You've got the magic, Emily!

T.A. Barron

Author of The Great tree of Avalon:

Child of the Dark Prophecy

 

The Fleur-de-lis is such a testament to living in Canada among the diversity, heritage and culture. Emily Isaacson's writing is vivid, imaginative and a joy to experience. Her words literally unfold in a landscape of luxury for the senses, that expands a lifetime of terrain in a glorious pursuit of endless destinations. It is a must read for the sheer enlightenment.

Tracy Repchuk

President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets

 

Attempting to pen a few comments on Emily Isaacson’s new work is like a caveman with a chisel and stone trying to capture a resplendent, golden sunset. Emily is a painter, a sculptor, a ballerina with words. Her creation is to be savoured and sipped slowly on a grassy knoll, not swallowed hurriedly. Let the reader dance with the poet as she takes one into times past, or to enjoy nature with new eyes, or to be drawn closer to the Creator – in English or in French. The Fleur-de-lis is a delight.

Marc Dalton, MLA

 

Emily Isaacson’s poetic words are precious and beautiful. I like the fact that they embody thoughts that are deeper in some places than my thoughts have gone before, even deeper than I can understand.

Dorothy Peters, Ph.D.

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Religious Studies

Trinity Western University

 

Reading The Fleur-de-lis is like the refreshing fragrance in the air when the sun comes out after raining much of the day. Emily Isaacson takes you on a journey through nature line by line and poem by poem as she points to the story in a leaf or upward to the sky above. Every word dances off the pages and into your soul to brighten your day. Her finely chosen words expand the reader’s imagination: as you reap the wealth of her golden words, they glitter in your heart. Emily is truly the Poet of St. Clare and her writings will inspire you.

Preston T. Bailey, Jr., Ph.D.

 

Upon reading the poems of Emily Isaacson one is effortlessly transported to the realm of yesteryear. As one reads there is a growing perception that here is something rare and special; something fragile yet strong; something lyrically musical. Exquisite word choices elicit delight and a desire for a second read. Her insights are deep, truthful, at times whimsical, but always compelling. Brava, Emily, for The Fleur-de-lis.

Ingrid Suderman, Soprano

Board Chair of the Vancouver International Song Institute (VISI)

Board of Directors, National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS)

 

Emily Isaacson, in The Fleur-de-lis, embraces Canada’s history and views it through the fresh lens of poetry. Her voice is passionate, multi-colored, and lyrical. Her skilled and accessible verses show that the reach of her understanding is deeper than fact-finding; they turn this telling into a document to be celebrated.

Luci Shaw, poet

Author of Breath for the Bones and Harvesting Fog

 

The Fleur-de-Lis is a masterpiece!

Helene Levasseur, founder

The Holy Wow Poetry Club

 

Emily Isaacson’s imagery is rich and full of colour. Her sensitivity to the world and its people, its animal life and the beauty of nature come through strongly. Poets are somewhat like prophets. They allow us to see the 'unseeable' and open up vistas of worlds beyond our imagining.

May your message of poetry reach all . . .

The Poor Clare Sisters

St. Clare Monastery

 

Emily Isaacson's writing style requires stopping to drink in every word. Her poetry is demonstrative of an artful writer and extremely impressive, as the discipline to write in such brilliant hues can only be honed over years of dedication and hard work. Well done, Emily!

Bruce Marchiano

Author of In The Footsteps of Jesus

 

My heart 'gets' Emily's work at depths where my mind is still reaching to grasp. She's a mystic-theologian... whose poetry resonates with intimations of God's suffering love.

Brad Jersak, M.A.

Author of Her Gates Will Never Be Shut