4.5 stars.

Though not my favorite Kate Baer book of poems, I still love a lot of them. I always enjoy how she writes about marriage, womanhood, love, friendship, and grief with a sort of dry humor, yet her poetry is still hard-hitting and poignant.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

And Yet speaks to all the truths know but not said aloud among women and mothers. I flew through this book in line for a ferry and would recommend. It is a wonderful blend of raw and polished and the perfect gift for a baby shower to bring some fresh air.

I absolutely loved this book. It was a really fast read, but I loved that the poems were straight to the point. The poems focused on motherhood, friendship, loss, and love. There was even mention of the pandemic. There were so many relatable poems. I think the only downside to the book was that it was a short and quick read.

<i>And Yet</i> is Kate Baer's second full-length collection of poetry. For those not familiar with Baer, her first collection, <i>What Kind of Woman</i> explored some of women's roles-- individual, friend, partner, mother-- through a feminist lens. <i>And Yet</i> is a natural progression of her first collection, exploring many of the same themes with the same vulnerable and incisive writing that made her first collection so compelling. After reading this collection, Baer's work is going to be an auto-buy for me.

<i>And Yet</i> opens with two quotes as epigraphs, a line from a Highwomen song (*love*) and another by Anne Carson: <i> "To be running breathlessly, but not yet arrived, is itself delightful, a suspended moment of living hope."</i> This collection of poems, written during a global pandemic and a time of intense social upheaval, is just that-- running toward something, but suspended in the in-between. Baer captures perfectly the pendulum swing of our modern day; from the hopelessness and overwhelm of taking in so much negative information, in poems like "Reasons to Log Off," "Daily Planet," and "Awake," to regaining a sense of agency through intentional joy-seeking and individual action, in "And Yet," "Influencers," "Idea," and "Revival."

Baer's poems bear witness to the ups and downs of modern-day womanhood in a society that treats women as works-in-progress, always in need of improvement. And yet--in spite of the men who can only think of women once they have a daughter, in spite of the diet ads and social conditioning that urge us to make ourselves and our bodies smaller, in spite of the weight and enormity of carrying the mantle of "mother," and all that it entails-- Baer helps us find joy: in the text threads with friends who are there for us in big and small ways, in "these tame and routine days," and in her daughter, swinging her legs at the kitchen counter as she asks Baer questions about hummingbirds. <i>Nothing is easier</i>, Baer says to her husband in "Still Married," <i> and yet here we are making pancakes with the radio on.</i> Ultimately, these poems are a meditation on how to move forward in the face of too much, of finding that suspended moment of living hope, and taking "comfort in your bold heart where joy and fear are mingling."

I loved this collection and will certainly buy it when it hits shelves in November of this year. If you loved Baer's earlier work, you'll love this. If you love writing that packs layers of meaning into tight, beautiful little vignettes, I recommend this.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a lovely collection of poetry, Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Another great collection of stories by Kate Bear. I really enjoyed how some of these poems focused on everyday activities and feelings that so many can relate to.

As always, great poems. Kate Baer deals with motherhood, the pandemic, marriage, and other modern anxieties. Her writing is funny at times, poignant at others.

Thank you for the ARC! I really loved Kate's last two poetry collections, so I was very excited to get an ARC of this.

This collection was moodier and I read it in one sitting like it was a short story. It sort of flowed that way, like you're moving through a lifetime. Her last novel felt like moving from childhood through motherhood and this one felt like I was moving through a lifetime pandemic (not necessarily our current one). Very introspective looks at gender.

I did not like this at all. I think the biggest problem I had was that none of it made sense. I couldn’t figure out what Baer was saying in most of the poems. It felt messy and cumbersome to read. Some of it just felt like she wrote a bunch of different words together and hoped for the best. It felt as if she saw an example of poetry and aimed to copy that in her own angsty, “not like other girls” way.

However, the very few poems that I did like were about motherhood. Those poems were full of emotion and her essence was tangible in those. THAT is what I’m looking for in poetry. I especially liked Burnout. It felt authentic. I saw her voice shine there.

I have been waiting so impatiently for this book - anything written by Kate Baer is an automatic buy from me. This absolutely did not disappoint. There have not been many times in my life where I have been so impressed by all the works of a single writer, but Kate definitely claims that honor. After What Kind of Woman it seemed like that would be her peak, but she absolutely proved me wrong.

Once again, it feels like Kate took notes from my life in new and maturing motherhood and created poems that made me feel seen. She talks about so many different parts about being a mother, especially the things that people shy away from normally. Motherhood, parenting, and adulthood are messy and complicated. Most of us have it together less than we'd like to admit, and this collection of poetry makes that seem so...normal. It is totally fine that we're all just doing our best.

I found myself just staring at pages thinking that I felt so seen. It makes motherhood seem less isolated - no matter the struggle you're going through, someone else is too. Identifying with others makes us feel less alone.

This is so re-readable that I want to start it again already.

Kate Baer's newest collection of poetry is stunning and thought provoking. There are many poems that don't apply to me (motherhood poems) but that did not stop me from seeing the brilliance in what she is saying about her experiences. I highly recommend this collection.

I have followed Kate Baer since her blogging days and most recently I've been enjoying her first book of poetry, What Kind of Woman. I was thrilled to receive an e-ARC gifted by NetGalley of her most recent book of poetry, titled And Yet. The topics she writes about are always relevant and tender. Her poems about motherhood hit especially close to home, including one for postpartum recovery that reads between the lines of an Edinburgh assessment.

I highly recommend this thought-provoking poetry for anyone who is a feminist and relates to womanhood and motherhood.

This book of poetry cuts to the quick with its portrayal of the bleakness of motherhood. Reading it is gut punch that you’re looking forward to.

Loved this! It was a fast read and a fun one too. I enjoyed these poems! Sometimes the formatting didn't work for me but that could also be digitization of the text. The themes of motherhood and sickness and honesty was very compelling and read very relatable.

This book. Kate Baer’s first book of poems shook me. This one spoke straight to my soul. I received an advanced copy (thanks to Netgalley) and the timing of reading this couldn’t have been more perfect. A couple of my favorites are Halfway There, End of the World, and What Are We Doing Here?.

Thanks for these words, Kate. They mean more than you could know.

All I want is a life with more poems from Kate Baer.

And Yet hits me right where I want it to. It is an inside joke among women. It is all of my secret snide smiles at my family as I sit on the couch reading.

Advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Publication date: November 8, 2022.