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toniapeckover's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I'd had this chapbook of poems when I was a brand-new mother. Berry explores both the fierce, physical love of motherhood and the seesawing fear and doubt. These are wise, bloody, twisting, aching poems about what it means to love with your soul.
"I am alone a good deal just now
and I cry at nothing and cry most of the time,
in the cock-crow, through the chiming hours,
the velvet meadows of my dream life.
There are things in these curtains
that nobody know but me or ever will..."
"Sweet ghosts who've been awake
with their babies through the dark
kneeling to the filth and holy rags of the body
so tenderly it wounds them.
Who rise from grey light to walk the wet streets -
their tiny saints adrift in sleep's brackish waters - ..."
"I am alone a good deal just now
and I cry at nothing and cry most of the time,
in the cock-crow, through the chiming hours,
the velvet meadows of my dream life.
There are things in these curtains
that nobody know but me or ever will..."
"Sweet ghosts who've been awake
with their babies through the dark
kneeling to the filth and holy rags of the body
so tenderly it wounds them.
Who rise from grey light to walk the wet streets -
their tiny saints adrift in sleep's brackish waters - ..."
booksbysoph's review
4.0
THE REPUBLIC OF MOTHERHOOD is described by Liz Berry as a gathering of poetry, and this small collection is definitely powerful. The poet takes these pages to reflect on her experiences of both pregnancy and new motherhood, as well as how becoming a mother changes a woman. These poems were smart and fragile, full of depth and emotional resonance. While currently only available in the UK, I would recommend this small pamphlet of poetry to any woman regardless of their status as a mother or not.
knittingandreading's review
5.0
I first encountered Liz Berry’s work via the You’re Booked podcast (the episode with Sinead Gleeson). Lines from the eponymous poem kept rolling round and round in my head: the notions of the queues of motherhood; the late night letters of complaint to the Department of Motherhood; all so evocative of my own memories of life with a baby. I knew I needed to be able to read it for myself and wanted to read the rest of the collection.
I was not disappointed. She captures the anxiety and uncertainty of waiting for a baby to arrive, the complex mix of wonder and brutality that is giving birth and the jumbled and often contradictory emotions swirling inside new mothers. She lays bare on the page both the outward hamster wheel of mundane domestic activity and the inner existential crisis that lies beneath it. Press this book into the hands of any mother you know - they will feel so wonderfully heard and, most importantly, will know they are not alone.
I was not disappointed. She captures the anxiety and uncertainty of waiting for a baby to arrive, the complex mix of wonder and brutality that is giving birth and the jumbled and often contradictory emotions swirling inside new mothers. She lays bare on the page both the outward hamster wheel of mundane domestic activity and the inner existential crisis that lies beneath it. Press this book into the hands of any mother you know - they will feel so wonderfully heard and, most importantly, will know they are not alone.
ccass's review
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
fondantsurprise's review
5.0
Absolutely stunning collection. So much so I bought a copy for a friend. I can not recommend this enough. Hints of Sharon Olds and even Plath.
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