This book was given to me by Netgalley for an honest review.

This book was a lovely collection of poems that I was able to relate to in the sense that I always felt both disconnected and split between my own heritage of being Mexican American as the author does with being Chinese Canadian, with various themes ranging from keeping tradition, lgbt, pop culture, issues with racism, immigration, and so much more,. I took many classes about Chinese and Asian history in general, which added to my understanding as I read and analyzed these poems. Some of the Chinese phrases (and even characters) were a bit hard to understand at times; once in a while I did end up googling something just because I wanted to be certain I understood a section or the meaning correctly. I have a few Asian American friends who I shared a few passages of poems with and they felt like they could immediately connect to them. It even made some of them sad.

I think the line I enjoyed most from the book, which was from the poem "3am Communion" : the richest flavours are just a few generations of poverty away. We have always eaten what the dead gave us. This is the language of care we were never taught to speak." To me, this line made me think about my own cultural soup that I was always fed growing up. It was a dish of my grandmother who fed me this whenever I was feeling down or when I needed a pick me up. Even now if I make it for myself, and I think about the past when she made it for me without even asking if I wanted it. It was just there waiting for me and I felt at peace. And further into the same poem, the line, "we are talking about food --- And cultures are for eating." This line really made me think further about how culture is viewed in society today. I could find nothing untrue in that line. People today still don't accept other cultures as they should, but many will gladly eat their food. It was definitely a shocking line that made me think!

I thoroughly enjoyed these poems and would love to read more by this author and of other authors with similar stories to tell like these did. I would definitely buy this book for friends!

A lovely and enjoyable collection of poetry. As a reader still new to the realm of reading poetry and verse (I was the person surrounded by thespians without ever stepping on a stage), this is exactly the type of work I enjoy. The words come to life so vividly and it's regretful that the book ends at all.

The poems in The Language We Were Never Taught to Speak explore the many identities, both visible and invisible, that a body contains. With influences from pop culture, the Bible, tech, and Hong-Kongese history, these pieces reflect and reveal how the stories of immigrants in Canada hold both universal truths and singular distinctions. From boybands that show the way to become “the kind of girl a girl could love” to “rich flavours that are just a few generations of poverty away,” they invite the reader to meditate on spirituality, food, and the shapes love takes.

From the cover to the poems underneath it - I absolutely enjoyed reading it. This is a wonderful debut poetry collection and I became addictive from the first page!!

Really well written with strong and open minded opinions about Queer, K-pop, famous personality and social media.

This book is a stunning composition of poems. You can feel the authors raw emotion to such heavy topics, that are so incredibly real and relatable. A refreshing / impactful read that needs to be on everyone’s to be read. Bravo Lau, you are the voice that needs to be heard.

This book is a stunning composition of poems. You can feel the authors raw emotion to such heavy topics, that are so incredibly real and relatable. A refreshing / impactful read that needs to be on everyone’s to be read list, Bravo Lau, you are the voice that needs to be heard.

What a beautiful collection of poetry! I enjoyed how relatable and readable the poems were. Highly recommended.

I loved this collection of poetry! It was relatable in the references made to current pop culture but also vastly informative as this is a sort of memoir of the lived experience of this author. I will certainly be buying a hard copy of this for my physical library!

This is a poetry collection about living as an LGBTQ Asian in Canada. Grace Lau has a clear, vibrant voice that sucked me right in. These were very readable and relatable. Even if you aren't Asian there is something in this collection to connect to. There are tons of pop culture references...boy bands, food and more. The poems were fresh and bright but still had a sharp eye towards society. It is a great read for AAPI month or any time of year.

This is a nice collection of poems that was able to provide a good variety of things that were relatable to me and subjects that I might not experience personally but was able to learn from. Despite this, some of the poems I did not connect with due to personal preference (style, mainly) so it was hard to stay engaged while reading them. There were a few I loved, including "The Next Time You Scold My Body," and I would definitely consider picking up the author's next collection.
Overall rating: 3.5/5 stars

A huge thank you to netgalley, author Grace Lau and publisher for granting me a free ecopy in exchange for my honest review of this little gem.

The Language We Were Never Taught to Speak is a collection of poetry that pulls inspiration from topics such as The Bible, pop culture, personal history, among others, in order to paint a hauntingly beautiful picture of various aspects of the LGBTQ community, immigration, Racism to name a few.

The author writes with such clarity, her prose flowing naturally within itself and beauty to paint a distinct image that the reader can not turn away from, nor deny. The pain, humiliation, and awkwardness is felt down to the bone because its written from the soul; the way poetry should be written.

My favorite excerpt is as follows:

The Next Time You Scold My Body

Nothing
and nobody has fought for me
like my body has, against stomach flus and rulers,
the honesty
of open palms,
my body, my protector,

my body, faultless
witness to nightweeps
and skinned knees, secrets
hidden between sleep's sheets.

I'm not sure that any reader could honestly say they don't feel moved by that in some way, and the best part is the whole book is like this.

Do not let this one slip past you. As for Grace Lau all I can say is without a doubt one to watch. I will be following and waiting to pounce on anything that may be coming.

I plan on purchasing this book, because ever page ended up feeling so incredibly personal.
At times like Grace Lau had cracked open my ribs and was letting the moment and feelings that lay on my heart spill our for the world to see.

Lau's work is beautiful, and I would recommend it to most people but most definitely to those in the LGBT+ community.

First of all, I want to say thank you to the author Grace Lau, Guernica Editions and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book talks about a lot of important things that do need more worldwide attention. It talks about racism, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, between other topics.

The first thing that caught my attention when I first spotted this book was the cover, which is so beautiful. I fell in love with it right that moment. And then, I read the description, and fell in love twice. I knew I needed that book so I requested it. I can't be more grateful for having being granted with it. I loved it!

It is a raw and vulnerable, honest, book. The author takes their trauma and turns it into art. Their words are so clear, direct, and poetic. The author writes with their soul and heart in their hands, with every scar, every wound open for us to look at it.

I have so many favourite poems, but if I have to choose only one it'd be 'My Body Is a Vessel'. It's so well poetically written.

"for the sun

and for a home

for the salt

air, buried in concrete

and dust, and risen

again—

[...] "

The author also talks about family, about their China heritage, their inner struggles. It is about showing hurt, about deep pain, deep inner struggles with ourselves.

The Language We Were Never Taught To Speak came out on 1st May 2021, so what are you waiting for? I'm sure you'll love this book! Here are the links: Amazon, Guernica Editions.

#TheLanguageWeWereNeverTaughtToSpeak #NetGalley #GuernicaEditions #GraceLau

This is a very strong collection of poems, touching various sensitive subjects. I feel like it managed to get across some situations and emotions that I would never have experienced or realised they would be a thing otherwise.

I am extremely excited to share my feels with the rest of the reading world on this one!

The Language We Were Never Taught To Speak 🗣 OUR TRUTH ❤️

I have written poetry since I was a little girl. I have never submitted any writings to anyone in particular (maybe a secret blog or two....ahem) but other than that all poems have only been spoken to the moon and then released. So keep that in mind when reading this review.

From the very start Grace Lau had my attention! That first entry, “When Yuhua Hamasaki Went Home” had me at HELLO, HUNTY! Okaaaaaayyyy?! 🤗

This collection of writings was so filled with honesty, compassion, and just genuine and raw emotion that if you cannot appreciate it you must be one callous individual. I am so thankful to have read this. I cannot pretend to know what individuals of the LGBTQIA community go through now or in their formative years, however, these writings gave me somewhat of a glimpse into that window 🪟 and I am thankful for that and the honesty. My respect for all the brave souls out there that live and walk in their truth has grown even bigger because of this read. And for those who have not found that courage to walk in their truth and light just know that our arms are opened even wider now because of reads like this one!

You will forever have my support, respect and love.

Thank you Grace. ❤️

An eclectic of poems that questions tradition, gives reflection on identity, and showcases the need to set out your own narrative aside from community expectations. I found myself captivated most as the collection went on and list formats started becoming more prevalent. "there is no redemption/in keeping strange tongues from stumbling/over who I am" will stick with me as a powerful line to reflect on my own multilingual language students.

I received an eARC copy from Guernica Editions via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating 3.5

A beautiful poetry collection that touches upon various sensitive topics immigrants face when moving abroad. We see different elements of the troubles each immigrant faces: shame, misunderstanding, expectations, rejection. Adding queerness, religion, and race to this mixture produced a very moving autobiographical poetic memoir. All of this accentuates the powerful and emotional expressiveness we notice between the lines in this collection.

The writing is exquisite, placing the words at the right spot, expressing the complexity of the feelings and emotions that resulted from great sacrifices.

The Next Time You Scold My Body

Nothing
and nobody has fought for me
like my body has, against stomach flus and rulers,
the honesty
of open palms,
my body, my protector,

my body, faultless
witness to nightweeps
and skinned knees, secrets
hidden between sleep's sheets.

My body remembers
every war
fought on the too-dark fields
of my skin, every
little death.

My body,
truthful loyal
insistent upon my existance,
howling light.
I am here.

My Grief is a Winter
.
.
.
In Chinese, sadness is a wounded heart. I wish grief
would visit
my liver instead. I should love myself
more. I should drink less.
My lover tells me to love
myself more. My mother tells me to love God
more than this,
but love has always been the mother
of my grief.
.
.
.

Red Lips

Tell me a secret
your lips keep

in these sweet and sticky
sunset streets. I've come

to you in solitude, ungodly
nostalgia, ultra

drunk on your Holywood smile,
your starlet nights. I came to see

what the fallen look like
under the Melrose lights.

I found them dancing
on The Abbey's tables,

I've seen them in Venice
handing out CDs and divinities

that would make God jealous.
Does heaven ever feel lonely?

Oh won't you tell me
the secrets these red lips keep —

However, not all the poems felt as powerful. Some of them gave me a misplaced feeling, like an odd disjoined family member. Some of the verses were difficult to understand and, even after reading them a few times, I still did not connect with the words nor felt the emotions or had the understanding I ought to.

Praise to the beautiful cover! It somehow encapsulates the homesickness and nostalgia with new worlds, people, new challenges and misunderstandings. In combination with this poetry collection's title, it speaks volumes.

A beautiful collection of poems from debut poet Grace Lau that dive into the intersection of queer and immigrant life in Canada. So may topics explored including family, capitalism, shame, love, guilt and expectation, all told from a place of honesty and vulnerability.

As a Canadian with a Chinese-immigrant husband, much of what I read in this collection struck a chord and felt achingly close to many of the stories, memories, and partial insights I’ve collected from him over the years.

A few standout lines:
<b> Nothing and nobody has fought for me like my body has. / How dare anyone tell me not to lovedefendsavour my body.

My grief is summer-born. We celebrate it every year when my parents see the pride parade dance across the TV and ask “What do those people have to be proud of?”

Drunk thought: really good pho <i>changes</i> you, man. / We have always eaten what the dead gave us. This is the language of care we were never taught to speak.

Sometimes an immigrant family has to create its own vocabulary for apology: rows of sushi rolls bursting / <i> I’m sorry I lost my temper. </i> Soup with ginseng. <i> I’m sorry. </i> Winter melon. <i>I’m sorry.</i>

For a time I went to bed dreaming of boys - / They were the perfect blueprint for a little girl who longed to be a teenage heartthrob, the kind of girl a girl could love.

I call my plants my children and give them either a drowning or a drought; it is never just right. Now, I understand the flowering of my parents’ pain when they tried pouring love into me. </b>

*I received this ARC from Netgalley and Guernica Editions in exchange for an honest review.

This collection was beautifully penned. A raw and unabashed exploration of identity, The Language We Were Never Taught to Speak brims with rich imagery and speaks to the reader. Most of the poems were powerful and striking, which was why I had such a hard time picking out a few favourites. Would recommend this poetry collection!

NOTE: I usually don't give out star ratings for poetry because I am not well-versed with the craft, but I'm giving one here since Netgalley needs a rating to accept my review.

Grace Lau's debut The Language We Were Never Taught to Speak is not just poetry. It's poetry that's grounded in vulnerability, reality and poignant truth. It's raw, honest and still ever so beautiful.

It's not afraid to freely explore identity, immigration, capitalism, youth, culture and society among others. It dives deep into your emotions and settles in the corners of your memory.

There's no empty space and no words written in vain. It's not pretentious or loud, it doesn't make promises that it can't keep. Lau's poetry is inspiring even when it doesn't intend to be, and it's heart-opening even when you clutch to your feelings, refusing to let go.

If you appreciate poetry that is courageous, bold and liberating, this is the collection for you.

I have kindly received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Guernica Editions in exchange of a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Grace Lau covers a lot in their debut poetry collection. I think the collection echoes and processes Audre Lorde's "philosophy" and function of poetry as active moving forces that works to process language and the world around. The nature of a poet is to call forth that energy and circulate however that energy calls. And Lau is no stranger to Audre Lorde, the iconic poet is referenced twice as a wordplay for the Lord that centers Lorde as a lyrical figure whose works and presence and activism has fueled an almost divine following--less Christ-heavy, but definitely a subversion to Lau's own Catholic/Christian upbringing and trauma. I enjoyed the way in which Lau used poetry to process trauma, being queer, generational pressures of becoming and undoing what that familial projection through words that call forth in poetic form. There is a personable quality to Lau's work that echo the more autobiographical grappling of language. There is too the more objective observations beyond them that also effects the personal including gentrification, solidarity, colonization etc. Lau is definitely a solid poet seeking and scaling around word and form and processing their relation to herself, to her connections, to love and queerness, to landscapes and white supremacy. I think the only poem that pulled me away was definitely the Oscar Wilde poem which I think I jump out of focus when I see his name due to some of the unhealthy relations with boys. I understood the poems processing but I personally couldn't suspend my disbelief in my own knowings about that writer.