Family and More - Enemies or Friends?

Who influences us in our lives? How do they influence us? Whom do we call an enemy? Whom do we call a friend? And why? Why do we have relationships at all? These are the questions Isabella Nicholls eloquently asks in her collection of poems, that examines the relationships in her own life. She has had to rethink her definition of enemy, not least because of her father, who was English and her mother German. They met in the aftermath of World War II in Germany. She has been forced to rethink my definition of 'friend'. We learn something from someone that helps us to grow and develop as human beings, becoming more understanding and compassionate in the process, and then surely, most people we meet in life will be our 'friends'? Through the memories and experiences of the people in her life, others can hopefully reflect on their own and maybe come to understand themselves and their relationships better.