A review by csamura
Mother Country by Elana Bell

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.