Reviews of Northern Alchemy
"...a splendid selection which demonstrates the dazzling breadth and the variety of her craft. The feelings being evoked are universal - love, loss, joy, the power of memory, but their mode of expression is specific. When they come together, we have the alchemy that bestows what I can only describe as authenticity"Review of 'Northern Alchemy', Kathy Hubbard, The New Shetlander, No 292, Simmer Issue 2020 (Read the full review)
"...however you map your progress through Northern Alchemy, the music, the muscularity and poise of the language whether Shetlandic or English, the beauty and importance and life of each and every poem will linger."Review of 'Northern Alchemy', Anne MacLeod, Northwords Now, Issue 40 (Read the full review)
"I thoroughly enjoyed Northern Alchemy due to its bilingual format of Shetlandic poetry printed face to face with its English translations"'Review of Northern Alchemy', Alan Teder, Goodreads, March 2020 (Read the full review)
"I started this piece by saying that Norn died when William Sutherland did, in the summer of 1850. In fact, that's probably not quite true. De Luca's Shetlandic poetry revealed itself to me slowly and cunningly, shedding its guard as I recognised patterns and sounds, while maintaining its mystery, in the unfamiliar words. The poems are various...However certain images and themes predominate and recur: birds, the sky, the sea, journeys and language."'March Book of the Month: Northern Alchemy', James Tookey, Republic of Consciousness, March 2020 (Read the full review)
"The sense of place in each of the poems is strong. There is an appreciation of the beauty and power of the natural world, and man's place in it. Contemporary references exist but the overall feel is elemental, the language vivid and full-flavoured. A feeling of timelessness permeates the collection. Beach work sees the narrator shunning the tasks they should be completing to appreciate the moment and treasure it."'Book Review: Northern Alchemy', Jackie Law, Never Imitate, March 2020 (Read the full review)
"Every poem is a joy to read, having lived in a forest environment for 14 years, I could identity with Christine De Luca's observations about sea, plant and bird life. There's no use in pinpointing highlights as I thought each poem managed to stir memories and feelings. De Luca depiction of nature shifts, which I think is the essence of the natural world."'Christine De Luca - Northern Alchemy', Robert Pisani, The Bobsphere, March 2020 (Read the full review)
"It is a joy now to see this parallel Shetland/English selection, spanning the time-frame and spectrum of her writing career. "Review of 'Northern Alchemy', Laureen Johnson