home body by Rupi Kaur || Book Review

Rupi Kaur constantly embraces growth, and in home body, she walks readers through a reflective and intimate journey visiting the past, the present, and the potential of the self. home body is a collection of raw, honest conversations with oneself – reminding readers to fill up on love, acceptance, community, family, and embrace change. Illustrated by the author, themes of nature and nurture, light and dark, rest here.

i dive into the well of my body
and end up in another world
everything i need
already exists in me
there’s no need
to look anywhere else
– home

Goodreads

Title: home body

Author: Rupi Kaur

Published on November 17th 2020 by Simon & Schuster

Format: Paperback, 192 pages

Genre / Themes: Contemporary | Feminism | Mental Health | Poetry

REVIEW

I don’t think I’ll ever have the appropriate words to describe my adoration for Kaur’s poetry, since the words for how inspirational they are don’t exist.

“home body” is a beautiful collection of prose and confessional style poetry, using a writing style and format that combines both her Canadian and Indian roots. I adore the aesthetic of her poetry, flowing well from one page to the next and intertwining with minimalistic style illustrations.

Kaur’s collection addresses a large number of topics, reaching a wider audience: womanhood and sexuality, love, feminism, racism and discrimination, trauma, community, and healing. In comparison to its predecessors, “home body” addresses these topics in a deeper and more explicit manner, generating a heavier emotional response from readers. Kaur uses her talent to encourage discussions on difficult and “taboo” subject matter, opening the floor to conversations and movements towards change.

Though some topics are scattered throughout the novel, the contents still had this gradual flow. The beginning starts darker, showing the hurt and trauma Kaur feeds into her poems. But as the collection progresses, the messages are more empowering and uplifting, leaving readers with a feeling of tranquility and hope.

I really appreciated the differentiating styles of poetry in “home body”. While some have a more straightforward message, others are filled with hidden meanings and symbolism’s for the reader to discover on their own. From short and powerful statements to letter free verse style poems, the diversity in this novel is a compelling feature that keeps you engaged and interested.

I can’t express enough how much I love Kaur’s work, nor how much I encourage others to dive into her beautiful works of art.

I recommend this novel if you enjoy: works promoting deeper discussions; emotional reads; therapeutic literature; language oriented books.

 

 

 

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