I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers; all opinions are my own.

Intersectionality is a hot topic in schools and discussions across the nation and Ananda Lima fulfills the promise her title suggests by highlighting the ways that her identity as immigrant and mother inform her experiences. Lima draws the reader into each situation she frames with detailed description of both the visual and auditory aspects of the scene. At the same time, she plays with form and sound, adding layers to the meaning and moments. That said, her experimentation in bringing complex truth to the forefront of each poem in interesting ways is, at times, ineffective. The collection has moments of pure beauty, but also moments that leave the reader confused and uncertain of the poet’s intention and this happens most often in the first section of the book. Many of the poems are rivers of thought interlaced, at times, with Portuguese phrases and figurative language that varies in effectiveness. Some of the later pieces hold magical insights that are masterfully developed, but I am not sure all readers will make it that far into the book.

The most impressive element of this collection is how Lima uses description to both set the scene and embellish the experience a poem recounts. In “Vigil”, a poem which juxtaposes American and Brazilian perspectives, the speaker reflects on herself and her son as “the only ones/to retain a tan/like that of the stubborn few/late dry leaves outside/sitting on top of a pile/of snow”. Lima arranges her family in contrast to the American snowflakes wrapped up in jackets and scarves each winter, underscoring their outsider status. This separation echoes through a number of the poems where she craftily captures the immigrant experience. In “Mother tongue”, Lima uses the difference in recording dates as a way to emphasize the confusion that comes with melting into her new home. She notes, “I am caught/not knowing for certain/the day I was born/switching my birthday/from June to August”. Something as simple as the order that each country records dates symbolizes the questions of identity as the speaker assimilates into American culture. This poem also points out how she and her son are polarized by his American identity as she speaks to him “in my broken/version of his/language”. The distinction between immigrant mother and first generation American reveals the nature of the parent’s decision to leave home and acclimate to a new place.

Teachable Moments:
I cannot recommend this as a full collection for the classroom; too much of the work functions at a level that exceeds a high schooler’s analytical attention span for them to truly appreciate the craft. However, there are quite a few specific pieces that would be wonderful and accessible for students to work through. As a teacher in a suburban district with students whose families originate from many South American locations, Ananda Lima’s voice and tone are significant in capturing some of the tensions felt within their homes. Voices like this are necessary in the classroom so that students can experience the power of familiar voices and experiences while discovering their own. Poems including “PB&J”, “Mother Tongue”, “Cleaning the Colonial” and “When they come for us on the 7 train” explore the conflicts inherent in immigration. Her work would also be powerful as a way to look at strong description and word choice as she explores the fluidity of language in “Bird”, “Madrugada at grandma’s”, “Ode to Wet Concrete” and “Vacation Bed”. Students would also identify with aspects of parenthood and a parent’s longing to protect and elevate their child.

Mother/land by Ananda Lima is a stunning collection in the voice of an immigrant mother of an American child. I loved the lyrical quality of the seamless blending of Portuguese and English and, indeed, there is a heavy emphasis throughout on language and its place in the speaker's new motherland. The love of a parent is woven amongst the exploration of the immigrant experience, and the result is mesmerizing and, quite simply, beautiful.

Many thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an ARC.

Mother/land
by Ananda Lima
BooksGoSocial
OwnVoices | Poetry
OwnVoices
Poetry
Pub Date 15 Oct 2021


I am reviewing a copy of Mother/land through BooksGoSocial/OwnVoices and Netgalley:



Mother/land was the winner of the 2020 Hudson Prize. The collection of poetry is focused on the intersection of motherhood and immigration and its effects on a speaker’s relationship to place, others and self.




This book investigates the mutual and compounding complications of these two shifts in identity while examining legacy, history, ancestry, land, home, and language.





Mother/land is heavily focused on the latter, including formal experimentation with hybridity and polyvocality, combining English and Portuguese, interrogating translation and transforming traditional repeating poetic forms.





If you are looking for a collection of poetry written from the perspective of an immigrant Mother of an American child, Mother/land is the book for you.



I give Motherland five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

This is a poetry collection which deals with immigration. The idea of identity and the general experiences of being an immigrant was explored. There are constant references to how different life is in New York (USA) when compared to life in Brazil. There are also references to the constant struggle between missing home (the 'motherland') and learning to live and love their new home.

In terms of the language used, a lot of the poems were told with a beautiful mix of English and Portuguese. Also, in general, the language was so dreamy. 'Eclipse' is my favourite poem mainly because of how dreamy and gorgeous the language is.

Overall, I was able to relate to a lot of the ideas surrounding immigration. I think because I was able to understand and relate to these emotions and ideas on a more personal level it contributed to my positive experience reading these poems.

Highly recommended.

Mother/Land is an easily accessible poetry collection that explores themes of identity, migration and belonging and parenthood. The poems topics range from political figures to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, language and bees, but regardless of the topic the themes explored remain constant.

The language is beautiful throughout and I I loved the way the poet played with the layout and presentation of the poem.

This collection of poetry is a must read. It focuses on motherhood and immigration. It’s written from the perspective of an immigrant mother of an American child. Some of the poems broke my heart. The poem, “When they come for us on the 7 train” almost had me in tears and I can’t stop thinking about that piece. I really enjoyed how Ananda Lima had both English and Portuguese mixed in the poems.