Soular Rainbows, a collection of poetry by retired Hawai‘i physician Shay Bintliff, is a prismatic refraction of the author’s life—reflections and colorful bursts of light manifested in poetic expression. Doc Shay, as she is known to her patients and friends, grew up in a household crowded with dominant males, feeling that what she said was not heard. Inspired by a book of Elizabeth Barrett Browning poems given to her by a great-aunt—and advised to “find your voice in writing”—she taught herself to speak up using the power of her pen. Soular Rainbows is a follow-up to her first book of poetry, Soular Energy (Ho‘onanea Publishing, 2008).

While Bintliff is known for her sense of humor—she was a childhood vaudevillian and writes the weekly humor column “Laughter Therapy” for West Hawaii Today—her poetry explores not just the joyful aspects of life and love, but the sadness, pain and fear of missed opportunities, absent loved ones and aging, as well as introspective musings on questions without easy answers. Both of her books were inspired by and dedicated to the memory of her granddaughter, Ilieana, who lost a four-year battle with cancer at age eleven. Bintliff donates the proceeds from book sales to Camp Ānuenue, a summer camp on O‘ahu for children with cancer.

This book is a custom-quote project, largely based on the Photo Legacy Package, including four-color art on each page.

Soular Rainbows: A Collection of Poetry is available via our online store and at local bookstores

Cover and sample pages from the interior: