rachiebeeee's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely stunning. Can't wait to read her other collections.
sophieskilling's review
2.5
i wanted to like this sm more than i did but it just fell a bit flat ! i didn’t dislike it but didn’t actively look forward to reading it either. i love jackie kay’s prose but maybe her poetry isn’t for me. my favourite poems though: ‘Kamso, Kedu’, ‘Missing You’, and ‘The No-Longer Dead’
annrhub's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
sp00ky_n3rd's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
I liked the first poem in the book but wasn't much a fan of the rest. It was lovely and refreshing that some of them were written in Scots. Admittedly though, I had to read this for uni and I'm not someone who is known for appreciating poetry!
lovegriefandgender's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
amberinbookland's review
3.75
My favourite poems from this collection:
-Between the Dee and the Don
-Fiere in the Middle
-Dark African Wood
-Road to Amaudo
-Bronze Head from Ife
-Between the Dee and the Don
-Fiere in the Middle
-Dark African Wood
-Road to Amaudo
-Bronze Head from Ife
singlecrow's review
I really wanted to like this more than I did. Kay is a half-white, half-Nigerian poet and a prominent lesbian poet as well as the Scots Makar, and I was delighted to hear that part of this collection is in Scots; I was very keen to see that background of identity synthesised in the language. And there is good stuff here - I liked "Fiere", the title poem, "Black River", which resonates for me with Langston Hughes' The Negro Speaks of Rivers, and "Ukpor Market" is brutal - but somehow it never quite came together for me.