In these poignant poems, the author as survivor unconsciously experiences the natural stages of grief defined by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross: anger, denial, sadness and acceptance. In addition, Holt offers a fifth stage referred to as questing.
The poems are not separated into individual categories in the same way any survivor may simultaneously feel anger, denial, doubt, sadness and even acceptance of the passing of a beloved one.
Holt, already a believer in the philosophy that the spirit never dies, found even greater corroboration of her beliefs in synchronous reading: Dr. Jane Greer's The Afterlife Connection and Gary R. Renard's The Disappearance Of The Universe. Trans-communication with a loved one is possible and indeed even comforting and healing.
However, initially, one must enter the tunnel before seeing the light which is why the collection is titled From Dusk To Dawn. Not only does the spirit leave earth for a new and brighter beginning, but the one left behind eventually comes to realize that the darkness of mourning will become as transparent as sunrise when the survivor is able to connect with the spirit of the beloved.
