For What It's Worth


Friday, March 2, 2018

review: milk and honey by rupi kaur



IMG_20180206_111742_672milk and honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. It is about the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look. ~ Goodreads

Source: Kindle Unlimited

Review: 

Milk and Honey is a collection of poetry divided into four sections. the hurting, the loving, the breakup, and the healing
I have no doubt in my mind that the author lived through these experiences her poetry explores; incest, an abusive relationship, family and friendships. The honesty and rawness cut deep.

As a collection it's a mixed bag. Some poems are beautiful, insightful and powerful while others read like a motivational tweet or something I might say to friend going through a hard time. Not that it isn't true or interesting - just not really poetry? But I don't read a lot of poetry so...

This would be a great book for people interested in reading poetry but are often intimidated. The messages are clear and accessible, the themes of "violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity" universal.

I also loved how the author wrote about how women should view each other as empowering rather than through jealousy and would recommend this to people who are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel and hope to push through a difficult/abusive relationship.



I wasn't as blown away as some other readers were but it is a something I bookmarked often on my Kindle and could relate to.

TW: incest, abuse, violence

37 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed this one too Karen, I thought of it more so as inspirational quotes rather than poetry as such. It felt like a celebration of what it is to be female, the highs and lows. This type of non capitalised, stunted poetry is really popular on Tumblr, I think some have claimed that's where her inspiration came from. Glad you enjoyed this too Karen <3

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    1. Thanks for this comment Kelly! I don't use tumblr so I didn't know about that. Makes more sense now.
      It definitely felt more like inspirational quotes to me but I still found it to be quite moving at times.

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  2. I love poetry, I don't read it as much as I want to, maybe its not meant to be read as frequent too but I love it and I've seen this around but never got a chance to check it out so thanks!

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    1. This is probably only the 2nd poetry book I've read. I really liked it though

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  3. Interesting. I'm not a huge poetry fan, but this one sounds like something I might enjoy if I could stomach the depressing nature of some of it. I'm not a victim of incest, but I am victim of sexual abuse, so I'm very choosy about abuse books, so I don't know if I could stomach this one.

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    1. It's very easy to understand and relate to but it is intense. I haven't had anything like that happen to me personally, but it has to close friends and I had to take a break from reading so I can see how it might not be for everyone. Cathartic if you're ready - but devastating if you're not.

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  4. Not a big poetry fan here, though the WW1 poems really touched me

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    1. That was a great review.

      I honestly wouldn't' even consider this poetry.

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  5. While I'm not big into poetry, I can appreciate it sometimes.

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    1. This was super easy to read and a very quick book. Under 2 hours.

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  6. I am one who struggles with poetry. I need the message pretty much spelled out before I can make the connection with it. These sound like I could manage.

    Thanks, Karen!

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    1. I'm the same. It goes right over my head but this is completely spelled out lol

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  7. I had a lot of friends like this one and it is one my list. I hadn't realized exactly the topics it covered though. Sounds like it is heavy at times. Still think I might pick it up at some point. I would love to read more poetry this year.

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    1. It's such a fast read that's it's worth trying. You would know right away if it's for you or not. Maybe take a peek at a few pages if you see it in the store.

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  8. I really love poetry, even older poetry but it has to be something I can "understand" if you will, which is a plus for a lot of contemporary poetry. I have this one to hopefully read soon! I've read The Princess Saves Herself In This One which I really loved.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I don't read a lot of poetry or verse because I usually don't get it. lol This book was completely accessible and easy to understand though.

      And I didn't know the princess book was poetry until this week.

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  9. I love poetry. I used to read it all the time, and I used to write it as well. I had a few published but nothing noteworthy.

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    1. That's so cool Amy! While I've read a few poems - this was my first book of poetry.

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  10. I am a big fan of poetry and this sounds like a great collection. I like that it mentions that women should empower each other. :)
    ~Jess

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  11. I've seen this one around a lot and while I knew it was poetry I wasn't aware of the subject matter. I don't have a real appreciation for poetry so I probably would not pick this one up but I can definitely see it being of benefit to those who have struggled with similar issues.
    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

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    1. This really felt less like poetry than inspirational mantra or verses. And it was such a quick read it's worth checking out - especially since it was part of Kindle Unlimited.

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  12. Poetry is not my thing... But I am a sucker for motivational verses every now and again!

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    1. This really felt more motivational than poetic as a whole Nicola.

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  13. I haven't read a prose and poetry book before (yep, shameful) and this one makes me want to read it now. SOLD!

    xx
    Vanessa
    http://www.blushinggeek.com

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    1. Well, this was my first so I'm not any better lol

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  14. I don't read much poetry either, so I'd probably have the same reaction, Karen. I have liked the verse novels I've read, although I haven't read very many. I guess it's not quite the same thing. :)

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    1. This was closer to verse than poetry really.

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  15. I'm definitely not a poetry reader, unless it's the prose-style poetry (simple broken-up sentences and stuff like that), but I loveee the message this story sends! Women should definitely feel empowered by each other. <3

    - Aimee @ Aimee, Always

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    1. This was SO easy to understand. Like...if you can understand twitter - you will get these poems lol

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  16. I agree, this is a pretty mixed collection -- some of the poems are not great, haha. But I loved the message of empowerment and sisterhood, and I love the fact that it has served as a gateway to more poetry for a lot of people!

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    1. I did love the message! And for someone like me, it was easier to read. lol

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  17. Reading this one. I have it marked at my library.

    I had a friend give me a book of poetry ages ago that always stuck with me. It was "The Moon is Always Female" by Marge Piercy (I now want to reread it since it was so long ago) and the poem, "For the Young Who Want To" always spoke to me ( https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47399/for-the-young-who-want-to ) and now I wonder which one will speak to me more now. Brilly review!

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    1. Oh wow. Thanks for linking that Melissa.

      Can't wait to hear your thoughts on M&H

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  18. I read this book with skyrocketed expectations which is why it probably didn't work for me as much as I though it was going to! A mixed bag is the way way to described it! I think I didn't like it too much because it didn't feel like a cohesive composition!

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    1. I had very low expectations since I don't really read poetry but it was...okay. Some poems were amazing but most felt like random steams of consciousness.

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  19. Ah probably not for me. Glad you enjoyed some of them.

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