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705 reviews
Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera
challenging
mysterious
reflective
5.0
I reviewed this book for Strange Horizons! Read my review here: http://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/rakesfall-by-vajra-chandrasekera/
Sargasso Sea Scrolls by Dannabang Kuwabong
challenging
reflective
sad
3.75
In Sargasso Sea Scrolls, Dannabang Kuwabong is on a journey to remember and connect with his ancestors. At the beginning of this poetry collection he notes that this book “stresses the important point that the search for African roots cannot rest only with the diasporic African looking to Africa.” With this intention in mind, the poet searches for ghosts and connections to his Ghanaian ancestry in the Caribbean. This book expands conversations about the African diaspora and meditates on the meaning of place.
Several poems feel like intimate conversations with the ghosts of enslaved peoples in the Caribbean. These ghosts search for home and talk of freedom, survival and grief, and also respond to violent histories. While most poems focus on the past, others discuss the impact of natural disasters in the Caribbean in the present and the suffering that follows. The poems within each section flow into the next and are narratively connected, which pulled me forward as a reader. The vivid imagery was great and I enjoyed how the author is searching for familiarity in the seemingly unfamiliar.
Admittedly, some of the poems went over my head (even after reading this collection twice) and I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would. But still, I appreciate the intentions behind this collection and think it’s a unique exploration of history, place, and ancestry. Thank you Mawenzi House for the gifted copy!