Bless the Daughter Raised By a Voice in Her Head Review

By Celeste Daniels

 

TW: Sexism, racism, xenophobia, mentions of sexual assault

Hello, audacious readers!

Hope you’re having a wonderful spring so far. As we watch the flowers grow, let’s give some flowers to the people who are around to enjoy them. Last month, we explored the connection between blue and Black Americans in Black in Blues by Imani Perry. This month, we’re exploring the haunting but familiar voice of Warsan Shire in her first poetry volume, Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head.

Known through her poetry being featured in Beyonce’s films, Lemonade and Black is King, Warsan Shire uses her full-length poetry volume, to explore trauma, womanhood, and the emotional realities of being forced from your home to an unfamiliar place with unforgiving standards.

I’m not sure if Shire is an eldest daughter but her poetry will definitely resonate with them (and me). This volume is a tale of growth in a way that feels both ugly and beautiful at the same time, which makes it feel unflinchingly realistic. Her words are sharp and heavy, reflecting the burden of expectation put on her and women like her throughout her life.

I love the way she describes the disconnect between generations and reality because of different memories, language, and experiences. I also appreciate how she talks about girls becoming women and how the world, but first her family, turns on her. Ironically, those were some of the hardest poems to read because it challenges my own ingrained shame in doing something as simple as growing up.

You see, despite the title of the work, much of the poetry is not framed in a blessing. In fact, much of it reflects on memory and the effects on the body. This is most apparent with poems centering her parents, whose hearts seem to still be in their home country of Nairobi. They’re never full in the present, instead going between a past long gone or a mildly optmistic future. Yet, the weight of the present never leaves.

Though the realities she presents are often harsh, there is always a blessing not too far away. I like that the truth of her words and the mercy she prays for are put side by side, whether the people have been wronged or are doing the wrong. And not every blessing gives the benefit of the doubt. Even here, Shire shines a light on the path people have walked, even if it describes how they destroy themselves or others through it.And even more so, Shire’s strength and resilience are undeniable, bringing their own light to the work.

So—whether cruel or kind, trapped or free—bless the person that has to bear the burden and miracle of being human.

I hope you enjoyed Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head! Stay tuned for our April read. Make sure to check out the Audacity Book Club merch and get your “Not ya mama’s book club” hats today. Also, keep an eye out for the “Not ya mama’s book club” sweatshirts, coming later this year.

As always, don’t forget to read audaciously!