I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Tiny Reparations Books. This has not impacted my rating and this review is voluntary.
- Genre: Poetry
- Published by: Tiny Reparations Books
- Publish date: 22 Aug 2023
- Number of pages: 160 pages
- Author’s website: https://www.melanialuisa.com/
- Support local! Buy the book on BookShop!
A rousing, beautifully observed, and tender-hearted debut poetry collection about identity, culture, home, and belonging–for fans of Jasmine Mans and Fatimah Asghar“
We, children of plátanos, always gotta learn to play in everyone else’s backyard and somehow feel at home.”Poet and musician Melania Luisa Marte opens PLAINTAINS AND OUR BECOMING by pointing out that Afro-Latina is not a word recognized by the dictionary. But the dictionary is far from a record of the truth. What does it mean, then, to tend to your own words and your own record–to build upon the legacies of your ancestors?
In this imaginative, blistering poetry collection, Marte looks at the identities and histories of the Dominican Republic and Haiti to celebrate and center the Black diasporic experience. Through the exploration of themes like self-love, nationalism, displacement, generational trauma, and ancestral knowledge, this collection uproots stereotypes while creating a new joyous vision for Black identity and personhood.
Moving from New York to Texas to the Dominican Republic and to Haiti, this collection looks at the legacies of colonialism and racism but never shies away from highlighting the beauty–and joy–that comes from celebrating who you are and where you come from. PLANTAINS AND OUR BECOMING is “a full-throated war cry; both a request for anointment and the responding bendición” (Elizabeth Acevedo).
via Bookshop.org
Rating: 5/5
A perfect mix of personal storytelling and insight into the Afro-Latina diaspora. I think these poems can be very healing and empathetic for anyone who has the same identity as the author and enlightening for those who do not. This is the longest book of poetry I’ve read that isn’t a collection or completed work of an author and it was daunting. I usually can read a poetry book in one day but this one took me several weeks.
I learned a lot while reading this in a way I did not expect! I also felt the rage and frustration behind the author’s words. That being said there is still a lot of joy, humor, and love of her culture in these poems. I also liked how many of these poems have pop culture references. With a mix of prose and varying poetry structures, Melania Luisa Marte is a poet to keep up with! I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to know!
Musings by Michelle 