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A review by afrancis0105
Old Monarch: Poems by Courtney Marie Andrews
5.0
The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"We are more resilient than we know.
I, too, will live through horrible sorrow
and live to tell you in a dimly lit bar, laughing."
Andrews is clearly a songwriter, and many of her poems read like the country song of my dreams-- and I mean that in the best possible way. She paints an evocative image of a childhood in the southwest that make me nostalgic for a part of the country that I've never been in long enough to miss. Stolen moments in Idaho, New England, and Europe tie locations to memories, and her references to many of the influential women in her life call back to the generational influences that drive her forward.
Poems of lost loves, friends, and family are interspersed with self-reflection and stories of personal growth made difficult when you don't know where to go. I've started 2021 with reading quite a lot of poetry, especially by my favorite musicians-- and I think this collection is my favorite so far. Her imagery and narrative-weaving abilities have me seeking out her music to get more exposure to her writing.
Favorite poems here include Gratitude for Blue, In Small Moments, Master of Denial (In the Form of a Song), Resilience, and Against All Odds.
Definitely a 5/5 for me.
"We are more resilient than we know.
I, too, will live through horrible sorrow
and live to tell you in a dimly lit bar, laughing."
Andrews is clearly a songwriter, and many of her poems read like the country song of my dreams-- and I mean that in the best possible way. She paints an evocative image of a childhood in the southwest that make me nostalgic for a part of the country that I've never been in long enough to miss. Stolen moments in Idaho, New England, and Europe tie locations to memories, and her references to many of the influential women in her life call back to the generational influences that drive her forward.
Poems of lost loves, friends, and family are interspersed with self-reflection and stories of personal growth made difficult when you don't know where to go. I've started 2021 with reading quite a lot of poetry, especially by my favorite musicians-- and I think this collection is my favorite so far. Her imagery and narrative-weaving abilities have me seeking out her music to get more exposure to her writing.
Favorite poems here include Gratitude for Blue, In Small Moments, Master of Denial (In the Form of a Song), Resilience, and Against All Odds.
Definitely a 5/5 for me.