What a beautiful book of poetry. It celebrates the author's roots and the Black diaspora from Haiti and the DR. It deals with issues of race in America, colonialism, body image, family relationships, and so much more. The language is beautiful, haunting, and so real. You can feel her voice so clearly. Some of my favorite poems were "Ode to the New York Public Library," "dem dog dayz are ova," and "Why We Pray." (also what a gorgeous cover!)

A collection of poems about so many topics: immigrants, racism, Afro-Latines and what does that mean? Everyday life, family, coming of age, feeling different & insecure, bilingual beauty, body acceptance. And so much more.

Beautiful, relevant with pop culture references and raw emotion. Truly a work of art.

✨ Review ✨ Plantains and Our Becoming by Melania Luisa Marte

I was drawn in by this gorgeous cover (isn't it amazing?!) and stayed for the incredible poems. The poems celebrate the experience of Black diaspora from the DR and Haiti, but also are firmly rooted in the histories of these island nations as well. Tackling topics of food and family, colonialism and displacement, race and culture, love and identity, and so much more, she brilliantly paints a picture of Afro-Latino life. Her poems pair joy and trauma, grief and healing, in ways that will draw readers in.

I especially loved the frequent discussion of food from mangoes to plantains, and favorite poems included, "My America, Mi Tierra," "Ode to the New York Public Library," and "The Gospel of Plantains."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: poetry
Pub Date: August 22, 2023

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Tiny Reparations Books and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

Melania Luisa Marte poured her heart and soul into Plantains and Our Becoming while celebrating all of the
Afro-Latines that embrace our Blackness with pride. This collection of poetry reads like a love letter to the Dominican Republic, to her ancestors and guides, as well as to the Lower East Side of New York City where she is from. I loved the island references and the way Melania is able to transcend geographic barriers through language which she also does by integrating Spanglish into her poetic lyricism.

Plaintains and Our Becoming covers many themes including coming of age, racial identity, cultural pride, colonialism, immigration, and making amends with the things we cannot control but must overcome.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this early! I’m not always the best audience for poetry, but that is because I prefer poetry like this: visceral, poignant, devastating, and unconventional. The true aim of poetry is make you *feel* and this collection did not disappoint. This is an important collection about belonging, identity, familial bonds, and resistance through existence, and I loved it. I tried to savor each poem slowly, but I found myself devouring this book in only a few settings. Each poem packs a punch and gave me insight to one woman’s relationship with her identity that is so frequently overlooked.
If you are a fan of Ocean Vuong or Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz, you will also be a fan of Melania Luisa Marte.

Thank you net galley for this poem collection. I really liked this one and you learned so much about the author and growing up i felt like at times i was reading a memoir at times. This piece of work also touched down on alot of history and important topics and i really enjoyed that because alot of things try to be hidden from us but we need to know the history in different areas. I loved the poem about breonna and toni, cardi and megan. Also the letter the author wrote to her father and mother. I loved reading about the culture and history in this collection as well. I think alot of people will love this one. The cover of this collection is also beautiful.

Glad i read this one melania be so proud of your work it was a great piece of art!

Plantains and Our Becoming by Melania Luisa Marte interweaves the arc of history writ large with Marte's experience as an Afro Latina. The result is incisive and lyrical and rich, providing perspective on many aspects of one experience that translate to a better understanding of the collective.

I particularly enjoyed Marte's prose poems/essays, which allowed her lines to breathe and expand in very interesting ways, but every poem in this collection is vital and striking.

I will be returning to Plaintains and Our Becoming, and certainly recommending this collection.

Thank you to Tiny Reparations Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy of Plantains and Our Becoming. All opinions are my own.

As soon as I read the dedication, I knew I was in for something worth my time. This book contains a lot of topics we as a society need to acknowledge one day and I’m glad we are getting there. Moreover, I like how the author expressed herself throughout the book as her emotions were raw, something like “this is who I am take it or leave it”, from page 1 till the end. Which is not very common in poetry books. I will definitely recommend reading it.