Inspired by the stunning visual landscape and sea views from Christabel Lancing's family cottage in South Devon, Beside a Stranger is her debut poetry collection. It reflects her personal experiences of love and loss; of pain, longing, and joy, exploring some paradoxical aspects of isolation and connection.
The poem Beside a Stranger originated from the 9/11 tragedy and its anniversaries-a reminder and insight into the emotions of those who died alongside people they'd never met. It is a spirit-driven memory, mirroring events and narrating, in parallel themes, the love for someone you have never met.
This is an emotive, sometimes metaphorical insight into human feelings and reactions. It resonates deeply and is, at times, unable to be read without a catch in the throat.
Beside a Stranger takes readers on a journey of emotional and natural description, relating intimately to the individual. Each poem builds upon the next to create a tumultuous, compelling, and restorative narrative.