Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems by Warsan Shire

Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems Reviews

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  missmickee-bookreview

  “Bless The Daughter Raised By The Voice In Her Head” (2022) is written by the multi award winning Somali British author/poet Warsan Shire: who served as the first Young Poet Laurate of London where she was raised after resettlement. Shire lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband and two children.
  
  Somalia is recognized for having the longest coastline on the African continent and is populated by over 16 million people. Somalia has been ravaged by Civil War (1991 2006) and the terror of lawlessness and violence against the people millions have fled due to these conditions combined with widespread government corruption, crime, famine, drought and flash flooding. Shire related the inhumane conditions from her childhood in these searingly profound and unforgettable poems. In the poem, ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ Sire declares: “Mama I made it/out of your home/alive, raised by the voices/in my head.”
  The scrutinizing process of immigration paperwork and outsider refugee status was certainly preferable to the taunting and heckling of those in her new country or finding a child’s body amongst the rubble from her war ravaged homeland. Shire introduced readers to her native language (with translations) and to the prayers and customs of her Muslim faith that gave her the strength to endure. Many of Shire’s poems were written in memory of her “Hooyo” (mother) and follow a multitude of blessings and gratitude: Bless The School For Girls – Bless The Real Housewife – Bless Your Ugly Daughter – Bless The Ghost Bless The Blood – Bless Our CCTV Star Bless The Sharmuto – Bless The Moon – Bless This House.
  
  The Somalia Refugee Crisis has continued for nearly three decades. Shire tells us that “No one puts their children in a boat, unless the water is safer than the land.” While reading this startling collection, there was much to learn and truly of all things taken for granted in civilized society. ** With thanks to Penguin Random House via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.
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  Sacha

  5 stars
  
  I came into this collection loving Warsan Shire, and I am leaving it feeling that sentiment even powerfully.
  
  As usual, Shire's works reveal a vulnerable, feminine, and at times challenging set of experiences and circumstances. I'll attempt to honor her work by cutting my words short. Go read or better yet, listen to if you can hers instead.
  
  I'll be recommending this treasure for a long time to come.
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  Mallory

  Absolutely beautiful. Everything Warsan Shire writes is visceral, stunning, and impactful, and I'll forever be in awe of what she creates. While it's important to go into a collection like this with necessary attention to trigger warnings, I think this is an amazing work of poetry that anyone can and should appreciate.
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  Susan

  Please note: there is a glossary at the end of this book. I wish I’d discovered that before I spent so much time puzzling out the meanings of unfamiliar words.
  
  A collection of beautiful poems exploring womanhood and sexuality. #BlesstheDaughterRaisedbyaVoiceinHerHead #NetGalley