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csamura's review
3.0
"And now I recall being in the grip
of a darkness I did not have a name for
and didn't think I'd survive. I could try
to describe it for you now: the nights
I woke with my pulse pounding through,
the heaviness of each breath,
how the effort of being inside my body
felt like burning --
What I really want to tell you is this:
how, in the parch of that long drought,
the people I loved kept bringing me water."
3.5 stars. This collection was both tender and raw. There were some beautiful moments and imagery. I loved the dichotomy in the author/mother, author/child relationships, but as a whole it felt a bit disjointed. There were many fantastic elements and a lot of promise, but it fell short on execution. Still a worthwhile read.
of a darkness I did not have a name for
and didn't think I'd survive. I could try
to describe it for you now: the nights
I woke with my pulse pounding through,
the heaviness of each breath,
how the effort of being inside my body
felt like burning --
What I really want to tell you is this:
how, in the parch of that long drought,
the people I loved kept bringing me water."
3.5 stars. This collection was both tender and raw. There were some beautiful moments and imagery. I loved the dichotomy in the author/mother, author/child relationships, but as a whole it felt a bit disjointed. There were many fantastic elements and a lot of promise, but it fell short on execution. Still a worthwhile read.
callum_mclaughlin's review
3.0
This collection of poems juxtaposes two extremes of a parent-child bond, as Bell attempts to balance the struggles of conceiving and caring for a child with the pain of gradually losing her own mother to Parkinson’s disease.
There were times when Bell’s poetic style really didn’t gel with me; lines running together jarringly and imagery that felt overblown. There were definitely moments that shone, however, with poems that capture both the physical and mental strain of miscarriage, and the difficulty of grieving for someone who is technically still alive. Most memorable are the poems that boldly examine one of motherhood’s greatest taboos; admitting to the shortfall between the expectation and reality of parenthood, as Bell navigates what appears to be postnatal depression.
Raw and honest, I’m sure many will take comfort in seeing their less-than-perfect but deeply human reality reflected here. Perhaps those who do will connect with Bell’s style more than I did.
Thank you to the publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
There were times when Bell’s poetic style really didn’t gel with me; lines running together jarringly and imagery that felt overblown. There were definitely moments that shone, however, with poems that capture both the physical and mental strain of miscarriage, and the difficulty of grieving for someone who is technically still alive. Most memorable are the poems that boldly examine one of motherhood’s greatest taboos; admitting to the shortfall between the expectation and reality of parenthood, as Bell navigates what appears to be postnatal depression.
Raw and honest, I’m sure many will take comfort in seeing their less-than-perfect but deeply human reality reflected here. Perhaps those who do will connect with Bell’s style more than I did.
Thank you to the publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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