Hahn’s introduction threw me off the whole book with the talk about a male critic censoring the author’s work on motherhood. The introduction went on about the variety of ways someone can be a mother or mothering and then narrowed it back down to a particular type of motherhood. It was also judgemental towards mothers who use a harness on their toddlers which was surprising to read for a book supposedly celebrating all mothers.

A handful of the poems were good but the majority of the poems in this anthology were mediocre. The artwork by Karolin Schnoor was beautiful throughout and honestly the best part of this anthology.

I’m a mother myself but unfortunately this book was not for me. I found most of this book difficult to enjoy and I would not recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

She Holds a Cosmos: Poems on Motherhood 
Illustrated by Karolin Schnoor, Foreword by Kimiko Hahn, Edited by Mallory Farrugia
Publishing on: March 9, 2021
Rating 2/5

The poems were stunningly written and adorably represented being a mother, but the introduction was unnecessarily judging and ignorant of other people's situations and disabilities

Though I am not a mom and don't particularly want children, I loved this book. It travels through pregnancy, infancy, toddler years, and on through childhood with an anthology of stories showcasing the diversity, complexity, and all that comes with motherhood. Having read other reviews, I took the introduction with a few grains of salt and really just skimmed over it to get to the poems. I'd suggest that others do the same. The poems are fantastic, the introduction isn't.
Thanks to #NetGalley and the publishers of #SheHoldsaCosmos for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A moment for Toi Derricote, Cathy Song& Keetje Kuipers, whose poems absolutely blew my mind. I enjoyed this anthology a lot, despite being neither a mother nor wanting to have kids. The journey this anthology traces—from early pregnancy, to childhood, frustration and else—is about motherhood, but also about mothers, about being a daughter and that curious link between us. Some poems were a bit irregular, but it is to be expected in such a diverse collection that blends classic and contemporary poets with such delicacy. The anthology itself, the arc it covers, the foreword, the art, were truly beautiful. I will say after the foreword I did expect what was promised: more diversity in the conception of motherhood, particularly non-biological, more queer or adoptee voices, which ultimately I didn't see. It's still a gorgeous book, though. Thank you NetGalley and Chronicle Books for allowing me to read this ARC!

I was very much put off this book right from the start due to Kimiko Hahn’s introduction. The author says a male critic attempted “censorship” by negatively reviewing her book – that is not what censorship is. The book was already published and out in the world, and the critic (however rude or dismissive he may have been) was not attempting to have the book destroyed, or for the author to suffer any consequences for writing it. Criticism is not censorship. It is damaging to misuse a word like that.

Hahn then, for no apparent reason, goes on to condemn women who use toddler reins. There are many reasons someone might choose to use these, such as having a child with additional needs who cannot be taught not to run into the street, or being a parent with physical needs so you cannot physically hold or run after your child. It seems foolish to present a book as loving and celebrating all mothers, and then having this horrible and needless judgement again some mothers right there in the introduction. I’m not a mother and have never used toddler reins – but if I was, and I had, I would feel very judged by this introduction. It really left a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the book.

Which is really a shame, because the poems are all great, and well selected. My favourites were ‘Outside the New Body’ by Keetje Kuipers, ‘Self Portrait in the Backyard as Mother’ by Nicole Cooley, ‘I Want the World’ by Brenda Shaughnessy, ‘Hours Days Years Unmoor Their Orbits’ by Rachel Zucker, ‘The Real Reason’ by Ada Limón, and ‘my mama moves among the days’ by Lucille Clifton – but there wasn't a bad poem in the whole book.

If I hadn't read the introduction and had only read the poems, it would be 5 stars. But I have to review the book as a whole.