This is a wonderful book, both insightful and diverse in every way: there are essays, short stories, poems etc. There are texts for anyone's taste in this lovely collection; lovely, but also raw and painful. As a lesbian, it was fantastic to learn more about different experiences of my own identity. "Mouths of Rain" is most certainly recommended!

This is an absolute gift of a book. An anthology I’ve been waiting for, and what a gift it will be to place in the hands of my students. Briona Simone Jones organizes this anthology with such intention, foregrounding Black woman love at its beginning, including pieces that are empowering, sensual and affirming. Moving into Identity Politics and the The Sacred, this text stacks classic Black feminist writings alongside contemporary voices that show the parallels and developments of Black queer rhetoric in compelling and beautiful ways. I appreciate that this anthology includes scholars, community organizers, poets and critics—embracing the different ways writers influence our communities. An essential book, through and through.

Absolutely loved Mouths of Rain! The poetry and stories were beautiful and moving. I learned a lot about the intersection of being Black and Lesbian from multiple perspectives. I also really enjoyed the mix of different types of writings. I will definitely be checking out other writings from the contributors.

This book is incredible. As a non-Black lesbian, this anthology enriched my spirit, and expanded upon my previous awareness regarding Black feminism and queerness. It is a welcome and necessary addition to my personal queer canon.

I remember the first time I read Audre Lorde’s poem New Year ’s Day and the last stanza said ‘’ I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.’’ And this has always been my motto even before I knew she was a Lesbian so black lesbian feminist thought has been at the forefront of how I have lived my life.
In the introduction it says “This collection is an offering. In it I aspire to trace the long history between black women because I have come to recognize that our love stories have been buried beneath our activism’” and I can’t think of a better way to put it
This is a stunning collection of Black lesbian feminist thought from various authors from all walks of life and different time periods. It gives an insight on how Black Lesbian feminists thought has been the backbone of various movements from the civil rights movements to the BLM, aside from that there is a softness to it in the reimagining of what love should be and especially for black women who are often undervalued in this society. There are essays, poems and short stories from both famous Black lesbian feminists and the less famous ones. This collection addressed identity politics, oppression, compulsory heterosexuality and most of all imagines a radical future, new and better ways to love from the point of view of Black lesbian thinkers. This anthology, I think, would be a good starting point for anyone who wants to find black feminist thought without the back breaking and time consuming research, I was very pleased with the biographies at the end which opens one up to find even more Black lesbian feminists
Thank you so much for the arc Netgalley

I enjoyed reading this collection of stories and poems. It gave a broader sense of what it like being a black lesbian in modern day times. Black Lesbians still see some of the discrimination that is depicted in Mouths of Rain but one can only hope it continues to improve. I also enjoyed learning more about each author. Just a very solid read.

4 stars

This arc was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Mouths of Rain is a necessary and enlightening sampler of Black lesbian feminist theory past and present. Like all anthologies, it has its highs and lows, though that may come down to personal preference; I especially enjoyed Pat Parker's "Sunshine," an understated yet beautiful declaration of love for her partner, and Bettina Love's "A Ratchet Lens," demanding respect for a misunderstood and much-maligned subculture. Overall, this collection is a welcome addition to any feminist's library and a must-read for those belonging to the LGBTQ and Black communities or allies seeking to enrich their understanding of our histories.

the book is quite melancholy and for that very reason it is also extremely real.
It fulfills what it promises to show how difficult and nuanced the reality of racialized lesbian women is. From the beginning we already felt how heavy this book will be, but that only makes it even more incredible.

I enjoyed this book as a Black perfspective on being a lesbian. The book use poetry and stories to explain the feeling of being a lesbian who is Black. It is a good study from that perspective

I am very interested in reading this book and will seek it out upon publication. Unfortunately, the ARC ebook that I received was unreadable due to formatting issues.

Mouths of Rain gave me some great insight into the experiences of the authors. While it's not appropriate for my students, I benefitted greatly from reading this dive into the culture. It's a great read for adults of all genders and orientations.

One learns best from one whose personal experience is recounted. The stories, poems and essays give glimpses into the lives of lesbians and the women who love them. Some are lauded, others are made to feel inadequate or abused by non-accepting parents. This is a great read. Gives insight into the thoughts and experiences of lesbians.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book. Poetry is touch and go for me but I was very interested in reading about the Black lesbian experience. Some of the poems in here were really powerful but overall I’m appreciative of the transparency.

A beautiful and solild read. The books keeps what it promises - it addresses the issue black women face in our modern society, especially as lesbians. It is important to educate yourself as much as possible and Own voices is a very good way to do so. The book is inspirational, empowering, but it's not beautifying anything of the facts given.
The introduction alone leaves you in a deep melancholy and after reading this book, I had to pause for a moment. There is so much heart in this book, so many emotions - you can feel what the author was thinking while reading it.
I can only recommend it to anyone and everyone I know because this book deserves to be read and to stand in every shelf.

I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.