This is Lovelace’s final installment in her “women are some kind of magic” series. Each of these books has required me to slow down, reread, and focus on self care.
Much like “the princess saves herself in this one” and “the witch doesn’t burn in this one,” this is a powerful book of poetry. There is a page full of trigger warnings that I highly suggest you consider before reading more of the book. The warnings are there to let you know what you’re in for; I find that a lot of poetry deals with difficult materials, and Lovelace’s work is no different. I do find the power of Lovelace’s words to be unique, though.
When I read each of these books, I took my time. But with this one, I didn’t. I powered through, marked pages to return to, and spent the rest of the day doing things for me. I find that Lovelace’s work really makes me reflect; there is so much trauma in life, as I’m sure many of you have experienced, and Lovelace isn’t shy about it. She shares the pain and growth so beautifully, while dropping in fairy tale references to liken our struggles to those of literary princesses.
I loved reading (and rereading) “the mermaid’s voice returns in this one,” especially because of the final poems. There were pieces from other writers alongside Lovelace’s words, and that togetherness felt like the biggest healing opportunity out there.
I highly recommend reading this series and following Amanda Lovelace for her other collections. But please remember to check the trigger warnings, read slowly, and take care of yourself.
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