Wearing My Mother's Heart

A sense of being rooted, as well of searching, clearly comes through in this collection, as the author weaves together themes of love, belonging, race, and identity. . . . The evocative and poignant poetry explores the power a mother holds; art, censorship, and exploitation; and God, romance, love, and more. Memory, family, hope, and grief hold the poems together while they strongly excavate sociopolitical themes. Reading them is unsettling—and powerfully beautiful. A masterful, immersive read.

Drawing on her Gambian and South Asian heritage, British performance poet Thakur pays tribute to the women in her life in her second poetry collection. . . At the center of the book. . . is the power of self-love and freedom of expression, topics that will especially resonate with young female readers. The format allows them to dip in and out as they wish and savor such stanzas as “A woman has always been / what it means to live,” which sums up Thakur’s touching look at modern women.

In poems that span cultures, generations, and locations—and are often written from the perspectives of her Gambian and Southeast Asian relatives—Thakur offers brief yet thoughtful meditations on her ancestors’ histories. . . . Through powerful polyphonic narration, Thakur presents profound exclamations of affection for the ever-deepening nature of mother-daughter relationships, while simultaneously grappling with how violence, imposed assimilation, and exclusion affect Black youth.

Spoken-word poet and London native Thakur speaks in living memory of tradition, family, and friendship, drawing from reflections on perseverance and resilience. . . . Many of the poems use the imagery of mirrors and reflections to describe ancestral lineage and the art of seeing through the eyes of one’s predecessors. Though not presented as strictly linear, later poems focus on mature love and evoke darker imagery, but the closing works reveal an opening to self-love, empathy, and thankfulness.