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A review by themoonlightarchive
More Salt than Diamond: Poems by Aline Mello
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
With words that flow like waves on a shore, More Salt Than Diamond by Aline Mello is an intimate look into the life of an undocumented Brazilian immigrant. With themes of heartbreak, yearning, loss, personal discovery and love, this collection illuminates the author’s experience in an anti-immigrant political climate.
Mello doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that the “American Dream” is a lie. In fact, she uses her powerful writing to shed light on just how much immigrants give up for safety - language, culture, family, a sense of belonging. With a poem about the ideology of the “grateful immigrant”, Mello makes it known how much Americans expect immigrants to give up in return for safe harbor.
Mello reaches into her roots, laying them bare for the readers with each poem. She pulls you into not only her story but that of her parents and their parents and their parents, on and on. The vulnerability she shows with each word and line and verse captures emotions that readers have never been able to capture themselves.
Overall, More Salt Than Diamond is a beautiful, heartbreaking debut collection that I believe is a must-read.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Mello doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that the “American Dream” is a lie. In fact, she uses her powerful writing to shed light on just how much immigrants give up for safety - language, culture, family, a sense of belonging. With a poem about the ideology of the “grateful immigrant”, Mello makes it known how much Americans expect immigrants to give up in return for safe harbor.
Mello reaches into her roots, laying them bare for the readers with each poem. She pulls you into not only her story but that of her parents and their parents and their parents, on and on. The vulnerability she shows with each word and line and verse captures emotions that readers have never been able to capture themselves.
Overall, More Salt Than Diamond is a beautiful, heartbreaking debut collection that I believe is a must-read.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Suicide