Melania Luisa Marte’s Plantains and Our Becoming is a gorgeous debut poetry collection that explores themes of identity, heritage, and resilience. With a voice that is both fierce and tender, Marte celebrates her Afro-Latinx culture while interrogating themes of migration, womanhood, and belonging. Poems like "Afro-Latina" and "The First Time I Heard Spanish" stood out especially for me; her words flow with a lyricism that feels both intimate and revolutionary, inviting readers to embrace their own histories. This collection is a strong testament to the power of poetry and cultural memory, one that stays with the reader long after the final page.

The book cover was very captivating and the story didn’t disappoint.The poems focused on identity, culture, and home, as a Caribbean I resonate with plantains and knew cultures was going to be a given topic.

This was such a beautiful and emotional book.
I found it hard to put down once I picked it up.
Lines in every poem stood out to me, I thought this was a beautiful ode to being Black, relationships with ancestors, and relationship to a colonized homeland.

Melania Luisa Marte's Plantains and Our Becoming is a powerful and evocative poetry collection that explores the complexities of identity, heritage, and belonging. Through her poignant and insightful verse, Marte celebrates the rich cultural tapestry of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, while also confronting the challenges of diaspora and displacement. Poetry is a balm for the soul, and I have found myself turning to it more and more.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this with me.

A luminous poetry collection, with a gorgeous audio version. the poems in the first 3/4 of the collection kept me mesmerized, in both word and voice the last quarter dragged a little for me. Afro-Latina, Dominican. New Yorker. Black. Bilingual. Woman. Child of immigrants and survivors. Descendant of enslaved people. Unapologetically weaving all these identities and experiences together into bold, luminous poetry.

thank you to #Netgalley for an ARC of #PlantainsandourBecoming ...even though I ended up listening to it instead.

Approaching this poetry collection with curiosity rather than deep familiarity, I found Melania Luisa Marte's "Plantains and Our Becoming" to be a deeply personal exploration.

The collection begins strongly with poignant poems that explore Marte's family and her Afro-Latina identity, touching on themes of diaspora, home, and cultural belonging. These early pieces captivated me, offering insights into experiences that felt both familiar and uniquely Marte's.

However, as I continued through the collection, I encountered poems that, while addressing important societal issues, occasionally felt more like political statements lacking in depth. This juxtaposition between heartfelt personal narratives and broader commentary somewhat diluted the overall impact for me.

Nevertheless, Marte's exploration of identity, culture, and the challenges faced by Afro-Latinas is commendable. The poems focusing on her family, cultural heritage, and the longing for home resonated deeply, inviting readers to reflect on their own cultural intersections and experiences.

In conclusion, "Plantains and Our Becoming" is a commendable effort that shines brightest when delving into personal narratives and cultural introspection. Despite some poems feeling repetitive, the collection offers moments of beauty, honesty, and introspection that are worthwhile, particularly for readers interested in themes of identity and cultural heritage.

I absolutely loved this!! It was beautifully written. It's a collection that will certainly stick with people and one that I hope to get in a physical copy!

This is a lovely collection of poetry rooted in Afro-Latinidad. Rooted in tradition, the poems call out certain hypocrisies and judgments rooted in racism and classism.

Plantains and Our Becoming by Melania Luisa Marte was a beautiful book of poetry! I was truly thankful to have gotten to read this before most people! I would like to purchase this one for my physical library!

This poetry collection was so beautifully written! I loved that it flowed between English to Spanish back to English again so fluidly, it really felt like I was experiencing Melania Luisa Marte's experiences. I really can't put much more thought about this collection into words, I read it so quickly.

Excellent! The author was able to capture the beauty, complexity, and hardships of being Afro-Caribbean. As I read through these wonderfully crafted texts and I found myself captivated and emotional. 5 out of 5. Please read if you get the chance.

Beautiful and stunningly written. A fresh new voice in the poetry genre that deserves all the praise!

This book is a powerful journey through a range of emotions—soulful, beautiful, and heartbreaking all at once. It's the kind of read that resonates deeply and deserves a place on the bookshelf for its emotional depth and impact.

Thank you Netgalley for readers copy. This collection was beautiful, honest, and moving. I first heard of Melania Luisa Marte when she narrated Elizabeth Acevedo's book, Clap When You Land and her debut did not disappoint.
Although I'm not Afro-Latina myself, as someone from the African diaspora and the child of immigrants I related to so many themes.
Part story, part history, part memory this collection deals with colorism, discrimination, depression, and struggling with assimilation.

Powerful, soulful, beautiful, heartbreaking. There are so many different emotions that I went through while reading this. Definitely something to put on the bookshelf.

Like many, I previously knew Marte only from her work performing the words of others, like in her narration of Elizabeth Acevedo's novel-in-verse Clap When You Land.. This was a pleasure.

Wow. This collection is beautiful!
Plantains and Our Becoming is something that should be on the shelves of a lot of high schools. the way it deals with issues of identity and belonging is something I believe a lot of young women would be able to see themselves in her story.

A really stunning and evocative collection expertly written by Melania Luisa Marte, exploring identity and all the ways it intertwines with our understanding of the self.

I loved this poetry collection it will be one I look back on constantly. I can’t choose a favorite poem just can’t wait to reread it. I want more Afro Latinx poetry

Wonderful collection of poems from an Afro Latina about racism, colonialism, colorism, and celebrating who you are. Part memoir, autobiography, and musings of coming of age. Melania Luisa's words will put that fire on your tongue and the sway in your hips for anyone who dares ask What are you mixed with? I thoroughly enjoyed this one and wish I could get it in the hands of all my mixed race babies on this planet.