Brigid Hopkins

Received a copy through Library Thing Early Readers program.

The premise of this volume is of the authors journey towards finding their own sense of home. The poems are arranged alphabetically which is certainly tidy but it does not provide any consistent narrative through the work. There is more of a feeling of a loose connection rather than a cohesive topic which is being explored. Which brings me to my first difficulty with this book.

The title is "Love Letters to The Earth" and that is what I was hoping for. In some pieces there is a clear sense of being inspired by or referencing the natural world however the majority is dealing with the authors personal struggles. It is not that the poetry and prose if bad, it is that there is often no clear link to the title of the book.

The second difficulty I had was that some of the pieces are profoundly personal which left me with the feeling that I was reading their private journal, a somewhat uncomfortable sensation. It is apparent that the author has a personal agenda closely aligned to social justice movements, which may put some readers off.

There was however a some very good points. The author uses repetition, alliteration and consonance to great affect; I personally wish the inclusion of text speak had been ommited. There are some powerful pieces included such as "Get Back Up" and "I am the Underdog" and "Lands of Origination."

In conclusion, I think the title is a little misleading and some of the pieces are too personal to the author to be entirely comfortable at times.… (altro)