vince_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
Trethewey brilliantly shares the anguish of reemergence from generational racism, loss, and violence. The collection isn’t all like this, but the poems I will remember most, like “Pilgrimage”, will be carried, not kept.
If wanting a sample of Trethewey's work, find: "Enlightenment", "Illumination", and "What the Body Can Say".
If wanting a sample of Trethewey's work, find: "Enlightenment", "Illumination", and "What the Body Can Say".
karibaumann's review against another edition
5.0
This is a beautiful and carefully crafted collection that is so recognizably American in its voice, its themes of race, the South, family, and history. "Searing" was the word that kept coming to mind.
emzireads's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Gun violence
amandatacklestbr's review against another edition
4.0
Not a big fan of poetry or poetry collections. I was assigned this book for a creative writing class (historical fiction) and enjoyed it. I especially like how the author weaves her own life into poems she was inspired to write by a painting or a photograph or a moment in history.
Favorite line: “because of the way you left me: how suddenly a simple errand, a letter — everything — can go wrong.”
Favorite line: “because of the way you left me: how suddenly a simple errand, a letter — everything — can go wrong.”