Keepers is a delightful romp through religion, rebellion and rambunctiousness. French’s haibun offer an artful fusion of memory tied to parenting her two boys along with her imagination steeped in regional awareness of rural Alabama where she has lived for the last thirty years. The haibun capture the authentic voice of 11-year-old JT Blankenship and are reminiscent of Twain’s Huck Finn. This collection of coming-of-age stories is strengthened by French’s haiku, which have the power to stand on their own. Keepers is a book that will tickle the funny bones and pull at the heart strings of young and old alike.
– Tom Painting, haiku and birding enthusiast