A review by abetterjulie
Birthright by George Abraham

4.0

Abraham's use of form is intriguing and entertaining, but when the form hardens into blocks, the emotions stop coming slanted and gasping, and instead land hard, like running into that wall of text, heart first. When there’s space to breathe, to look around in wonder at experience-now blended into experience-then, and to feel pulled in rather than shut out, the poems speak loudest to me. This all fits well with the themes of disjointed family, shifting memory, and an entire place and culture being walled off into silence. A paradox of form, that the white spaces have a necessary sound. This collection felt like sitting down to listen to a friend late at night, requiring a centered place inside to listen and time to let them say all that needs said.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.