Somebody Give This Heart a Pen

Reviews:

In this debut collection first published in the UK, performance poet Thakur explores identity, family, loss, relationships, vulnerability, empowerment, and self-discovery. At once intimate and universal, aching and affirming, the poems examine the cycles of breaking, healing, and growth that shape people through young adulthood and beyond...An affecting poetry collection for all teens that deserves a spot in school and public libraries. ~School Library Journal (starred review)

The torrent of Thakur’s spoken word poetry storms the page to flow, feed, and flood in this thunderous debut with broad reader appeal. Thakur, who is of Indian, Sri Lankan, and Gambian descent, offers a love letter to Black and brown readers that offers, at once, the intimacy of the self exposed and the universal power of story shared. A deluge of verse to dance in. ~Kirkus Reviews

This poetry collection, broken into five sections, mirrors generally the process of personal growth: grow, wait, break, and grow again. Woven into the collection are affirmations of Black girlhood, coping with breakups, reflecting on past hurt, and growing from old mistakes...It is this exploration that will resonate with teen readers who search for stanzas to narrate the intensity of their lives, and offer reprieve when it feels there is none. ~Booklist

In her debut poetry collection, Thakur explores love, family, and the challenges and joys of being a Black woman in contemporary Britain...The collection is most powerful in its odes to Black girlhood: “Little black girl, my heart thrives in the stride of your halo.” Offering particular nourishment for young Black women, this raw, heartfelt collection will resonate with all readers seeking a lyrical meditation on the journey to heal from heartache. ~Publishers Weekly Online

This book contains a series of vignettes written in verse and which speak powerfully on subjects such as motherhood, lovers, the African diaspora, and more. The author uses imagery to create just enough detail for the writer to envision each vignette as it unfolds, and the effect is like witnessing a painting in progress. The book is particularly good at evoking the emotional back and forth of relationships, whether it is between lovers, ex-lovers, mothers and daughters, or fathers and daughters. ~School Library Connection