This one of the most heartfelt poetry books I’ve read.
The readers are immediately taken into the life of the author and although not every poem was autobiographical, they all give information into the mind of the author and her feelings. The readers are given important events that happened in the author’s life.
The reader gets insight into early childhood and adolescents in a strict school before moving into young adulthood with marriages, divorces, motherhood, and more. When finally in the end, the reader gets to explore more of this author finding herself and being true the person she wants to be and finding someone that accepts every aspect of who that person is and loves her because of it.
Betker challenges gender roles and norms and what it was like growing up in the 70’s and 80’s where the idea of women working and treating them like actual people with feelings was still a relatively new concept. Who knew women had ideas, dreams, and worked just as hard as men? *insert eye roll* Growing up in a time when the woman kept the home and the man worked outside of it. The boys in the home got to sit around and do nothing, while the women of the home cooked, cleaned, and reared the children. Just because the author was little, didn’t excuse her from not helping to bathe, feed, and change her little brother.
I was captivated from the very first page until the very last. My heart literally ached in a few poems because of the material written on the page. I was surprised by the explicitness in some and I cheered when I got to the end and she was living her truth. As a woman, as a huge modern-day feminist that has a huge belief in intersectionality, I was ecstatic to read this happily ever after. I wanted it for her. After the bullshit she was put through, coming out on the other side of the darkness was like watching someone come up for a breath of fresh air after so long inside.
There were characters that I wanted to throat punch and scream at for being completely incompetent and useless. There were also questions that I wondered about after the poetry ended. Overall, this is the type of poetry that sticks with you, long after reading it.
This work of poetry has a theme of acceptance, love, societal norms and identity. It’s raw and beautiful and I was honored to get a glimpse into this intimate side of the author through her words and experiences.
Pros:
- Poignant and powerful
- Raw
Cons
- None
Scribble's Worth 
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