Reading this poetry collection was a life-changing experience. I’ve been an avid poetry reader for about four years now, and I admit that most of my reading revolves around American poets. So, at this point, I’m very familiar with the English language. But, from the beginning, I’ve always sought more diverse poets, maybe because I latched with their poetry more than the average white poet (even though I’m white myself). What I loved the most about these poets, was the way they talked about their identity through their poems, be it their race or ethnicity, sexuality, gender, etc. To me, that was what brought those poems to light and made them so damn gorgeous.

But since these four years began, this is the first time I read a Brazilian poet writing in English and by extension also in Brazilian Portuguese - something I feel deserved more attention, because I first though the author was Portuguese and not Brazilian. There’s a different, even so slightly, between these two languages and that should be pointed out -, and doing so beautifully. Another thing I love about writers who have English as their secondary language (instead of their primary), it’s how they bleed - or switch, per se - into their mother-tongue while writing, while expressing themselves. I believe my first encounter with such a method was while reading Ocean Vuong’s poetry collection Night Sky with Exit Wounds, where he makes some remarks in Vietnamese instead of English. And I LOVED that. As someone whose mother-tongue isn’t English, I feel a different sort of connection while reading someone express themselves in something other than English. I understood that so deeply. So that might be one of the reasons why I loved this poetry collection so much.

Ananda Lima created a beautiful tapestry, woven poetry between English and Brazilian Portuguese words, talking about her complicated relationship as an immigrant in America, while also looking back with saudade (a Brazilian word that can be roughly translated as a nostalgic feeling) to her Brazilian roots. This poetry collection was its own soul and I think it’s a very beautiful one. I loved that this was my first time reading a Brazilian author expressing themselves in both English and Brazilian Portuguese. May this collection open more doors to other Brazilian poets currently residing in the United States. Would definitely recommend this collection to people who like poets such as Ocean Vuong, Ada Limón, Eduardo C. Corral and Victoria Chang.

I find it difficult to review poetry because I feel a bit out of my depth - for me, it's much harder to form an opinion on why I liked or didn't like a certain poem other than the feeling it gave me. There were some poems in here that I really enjoyed because they made me feel some type of way. Some of my favourites were "Madrugada at grandma's", "Fall", "Vacation Bed", and "Portrait" - this last one specifically because it hones in on such a small moment in a day and describes it so vividly and beautifully.

Visceral in its visual and emotional descriptions of life in Brazil and also learning to find a home in America.
Interspersed with such tender moments of motherhood

Mother/land is an Own Voices collection of poems by Ananda Lima. As far as content is concerned, Lima focuses on the experience of parenting in a foreign land; as far as style is concerned, Lima experiments with form and writes in both English and Portuguese. Her tone is tender at times and then piercing and poignant.

For me, there were very few shortcomings in Mother/land. I bring my own weaknesses to the text because there were some cultural references that I did not know or understand, and I am not familiar with Portuguese. These are not detrimental to the the book as whole because there are still many entry points with several of the poems. It's hard to choose one favorite, but I really enjoyed "Mother Tongue," "Toast to America," and "Bird." While I'm not sure if I fully grasp the meaning of them, I liked the diction and the rhythm of these poems. "Mother Tongue" illustrates the importance of language and how it keeps one connected to culture, yet she's forced to give in and speak to her son in her "broken version of his language." This undoubtedly puts some distance between herself and her son because although she wants to share as much with him as possible, she recognizes the limitations of speaking Portuguese in a land with an "unofficial official language." The poem is dated 11/09/2016, so I interpreted some subtle political commentary. I felt similar vibes in "Toast to America," as she says, "Like that/ I overstayed/here it went by so quickly," and now she is "burnt," just like the toast in her toaster oven. Lastly, "Bird" stood out because of the lines, "Do I tell my four year old son it has no room to fly that the net over the sky could never be high enough." While this poem has some sly political commentary, it also illustrates how parents have to find ways to speak to their children about difficult topics, i.e. the limitations one faces in life, especially as it pertains the "American Dream" and the illusion of freedom, notably for immigrants.

While I'm not sure I could fully appreciate all the poems in the collection, I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Own Voices books and some challenging, thought-provoking poetry.

Thank you netgalley for this arc🙏🏻

The poems focused on state of being motherhood and immigration and its effects on a certain factors. It meticulously focus deeply on certain themes like love, attachment, repercussions and acceptance.

The intersection between motherhood and motherland/ immigration is explored with sensitivity by Ananda Lima in this collection. I understand why the poet blended English with Portuguese, but as a reader of only English, it wasn't to my taste. I was able to enjoy, however, many of the poems and the spirit of the publication.

Thank you to the publisher and poet for an advanced copy.

Thank you to the publishers, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of this lovely poetry book.

I absolutely adored Lima's poetic style- the way she blends Portuguese with English was so seamless and beautiful. It almost felt like listening to a song. I enjoyed this collection with its themes of immigration and language and motherhood, especially compelling considering the current state of the world including in the US. I think my favorite poem was “when they come for us on the 7 train”. It was so touching and evocative and wrapped up a lovely poetry collection.

Mother/land, 4 stars.

This is a collection of some truly beautiful poetry. "Vigil" was definitely my favorite. Lima has an amazing hold on language, whether English or Portuguese. These poems are raw and candid, an outpouring of emotion and uncertainty and longing. What makes up a person's identity? How does motherhood change that? Can a person truly be whole when they are split between countries, worlds?

Go read this book, right now. This is a sensual, intense, brilliant poetic account of Lima's move to and life in America, with frequent homages to poet Nathaniel Mackey and the musician Caetano Veloso. The text moves lyrically between English and Portuguese and never loses a beat. Lima writes about nationality and motherhood, what borders mean and how she raises her son in America. I could--and will--read this repeatedly, and can't wait to teach it and share it with other readers.

The front cover is really good which draw me to the book at first sight. There was some poems I did enjoy but others that I found hard to relate to but overall I enjoyed the book.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

Thank you netgalley for this arc🙏🏻

The poems focused on state of being motherhood and immigration and its effects on a certain factors. It meticulously focus deeply on certain themes like love, attachment, repercussions and acceptance.

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC!

While there were some poems like 'Bee' that I really loved, I couldn't really relate to most of the poems. I don't think it's the author; it's just me.

"I imagine my son
grown, inhabiting
another place
feeling cold
for your concrete
counterparts
always wishing
for you."

A winding, honest rumination on motherhood and home. On being an immigrant and on the little moments in life, moments seemingly so mundane as a mom of a toddler. I enjoyed the specific moments she highlighted and how she gathered so many seemingly unique experiences and thoughts into one poem.

One of the best books I've read al year, this short collection was powerful and heartfelt and moving and beautiful. It helped me understand immigration and motherhood and even the USA a little better. 'When they come for us on the 7 train' was heartbreaking but I think my favorite was PB&J:

PB & J

As a foreigner
my identity
was against it
by default

But later
as a mother
I was
to make sandwiches

I turned away
from my American child
to hide a grimace
as the knife
slid on the oily surface
extracting
a hanging grub
the mustard of
dusty, old
midcentury velvet couches

I nagged my husband
for separate utensils
fear
of contamination

Then, one day
I was stranded
starving
under a sleeping child
The sandwich still
under his chubby fingers
bitten only once
about to fall

I moved
the free arm
closed my eyes
as survivors on TV
brought it to my lips
and bit it

Sweet swirls swimming
in fat
Thick, creamy
Fat
fromage de meaux
Unpasteurized
Beautiful body of butter

The jelly sandwiches of the past
were the ones
meant only for children
dry and bodiless
the superficial joy
of chips
from a vending machine

As I prepared
to bite again
More
than in that citizenship
swearing ceremony
earlier that month
I felt
As an American

Lima’s lyrical work reflects on motherhood and the immigrant experience; especially getting used to life in American culture. As a New Yorker I found many ways to connect to the constant motion and assault of new sounds/flavors/in reality, prejudices present in boroughs. One of my favorite moments was the reflection on the indulgence of a first PB&J sandwich, once looked upon in disdain and unfamiliarity. I am considering using this text to explore CRSE with colleagues. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Mother/ Land by @anandalima

I always preferred poems, proses over any other genre in literature.
So, reading this beautiful book made to think in a deeper level.

Mother Land focuses on motherhood and immigration. I noticed that it's written in first person and from the perspective of and immigrant mother to an American child.

This book is powerfully moving and hits the chord on the right segment.
I'm not amazed that this book won 2020s #hudsonprize because it deserves it.

It talked about the terror unknown from the new motherland of how to raise her child amid the violence and danger in today's America and also what she inherited from her family, ancestors simply migrant Brazilian past. It also reflects passing on familial legacy to the next generation.

One thing I'd like to be honest with you that as I'm from India, Portuguese language I'm not familiar with but I enjoyed the book so heartily.
I love the layouts even, written in suchban unique style.

I'd recommend this book to everyone but as it's pure art and some may or might not understand the concept of the book!

Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Thank you @netgalley and @blacklawrencepress for the #arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers; all opinions are my own.

Intersectionality is a hot topic in schools and discussions across the nation and Ananda Lima fulfills the promise her title suggests by highlighting the ways that her identity as immigrant and mother inform her experiences. Lima draws the reader into each situation she frames with detailed description of both the visual and auditory aspects of the scene. At the same time, she plays with form and sound, adding layers to the meaning and moments. That said, her experimentation in bringing complex truth to the forefront of each poem in interesting ways is, at times, ineffective. The collection has moments of pure beauty, but also moments that leave the reader confused and uncertain of the poet’s intention and this happens most often in the first section of the book. Many of the poems are rivers of thought interlaced, at times, with Portuguese phrases and figurative language that varies in effectiveness. Some of the later pieces hold magical insights that are masterfully developed, but I am not sure all readers will make it that far into the book.

The most impressive element of this collection is how Lima uses description to both set the scene and embellish the experience a poem recounts. In “Vigil”, a poem which juxtaposes American and Brazilian perspectives, the speaker reflects on herself and her son as “the only ones/to retain a tan/like that of the stubborn few/late dry leaves outside/sitting on top of a pile/of snow”. Lima arranges her family in contrast to the American snowflakes wrapped up in jackets and scarves each winter, underscoring their outsider status. This separation echoes through a number of the poems where she craftily captures the immigrant experience. In “Mother tongue”, Lima uses the difference in recording dates as a way to emphasize the confusion that comes with melting into her new home. She notes, “I am caught/not knowing for certain/the day I was born/switching my birthday/from June to August”. Something as simple as the order that each country records dates symbolizes the questions of identity as the speaker assimilates into American culture. This poem also points out how she and her son are polarized by his American identity as she speaks to him “in my broken/version of his/language”. The distinction between immigrant mother and first generation American reveals the nature of the parent’s decision to leave home and acclimate to a new place.

Teachable Moments:
I cannot recommend this as a full collection for the classroom; too much of the work functions at a level that exceeds a high schooler’s analytical attention span for them to truly appreciate the craft. However, there are quite a few specific pieces that would be wonderful and accessible for students to work through. As a teacher in a suburban district with students whose families originate from many South American locations, Ananda Lima’s voice and tone are significant in capturing some of the tensions felt within their homes. Voices like this are necessary in the classroom so that students can experience the power of familiar voices and experiences while discovering their own. Poems including “PB&J”, “Mother Tongue”, “Cleaning the Colonial” and “When they come for us on the 7 train” explore the conflicts inherent in immigration. Her work would also be powerful as a way to look at strong description and word choice as she explores the fluidity of language in “Bird”, “Madrugada at grandma’s”, “Ode to Wet Concrete” and “Vacation Bed”. Students would also identify with aspects of parenthood and a parent’s longing to protect and elevate their child.

Mother/land by Ananda Lima is a stunning collection in the voice of an immigrant mother of an American child. I loved the lyrical quality of the seamless blending of Portuguese and English and, indeed, there is a heavy emphasis throughout on language and its place in the speaker's new motherland. The love of a parent is woven amongst the exploration of the immigrant experience, and the result is mesmerizing and, quite simply, beautiful.

Many thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an ARC.

Mother/land
by Ananda Lima
BooksGoSocial
OwnVoices | Poetry
OwnVoices
Poetry
Pub Date 15 Oct 2021


I am reviewing a copy of Mother/land through BooksGoSocial/OwnVoices and Netgalley:



Mother/land was the winner of the 2020 Hudson Prize. The collection of poetry is focused on the intersection of motherhood and immigration and its effects on a speaker’s relationship to place, others and self.




This book investigates the mutual and compounding complications of these two shifts in identity while examining legacy, history, ancestry, land, home, and language.





Mother/land is heavily focused on the latter, including formal experimentation with hybridity and polyvocality, combining English and Portuguese, interrogating translation and transforming traditional repeating poetic forms.





If you are looking for a collection of poetry written from the perspective of an immigrant Mother of an American child, Mother/land is the book for you.



I give Motherland five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

This is a poetry collection which deals with immigration. The idea of identity and the general experiences of being an immigrant was explored. There are constant references to how different life is in New York (USA) when compared to life in Brazil. There are also references to the constant struggle between missing home (the 'motherland') and learning to live and love their new home.

In terms of the language used, a lot of the poems were told with a beautiful mix of English and Portuguese. Also, in general, the language was so dreamy. 'Eclipse' is my favourite poem mainly because of how dreamy and gorgeous the language is.

Overall, I was able to relate to a lot of the ideas surrounding immigration. I think because I was able to understand and relate to these emotions and ideas on a more personal level it contributed to my positive experience reading these poems.

Highly recommended.