Passerine by Kirstin Luckins

 

This book is was very exciting to me. It's the first time I've been sent a poetry collection so a big thank you to the awesome indie press Bad Betty Press for sending me this. 

This collection was sent to me in exchange for an honest review all thoughts are my own.Also apologies for long it's taken me to get to it. I've been working throughout lockdown so it's been very busy and I haven't had much time. But anyway on to the collection.

Passerine is a grief diary showing the poet's mourning and each poem is titled "Dear Sophie" and the date it was written. It's absolutely harrowing and heart wrenching. Each one is very different to the next and yet threy flow together painting us a beautiful melancholic portrait of sadness and grief. 

The poems also get more experimental as time goes on and become more and more incensed. Towards the end of the collection a fear of climate change bubbles up throughout. This idea that her grief had moved from just a grief for s friend to grieving for what the world used to be and what it will become. 

I loved how themed of the natural world this book was from the ever mentioned birds to wildflowers. This collection includes nature as a character alongside the writer creating this feeling of the outdoors being a connection to everything and nothing.

I adored this collection. Luckin's poetry is memorable, emotive and heartbreaking. It's beautifully put together and I have to give a moment to say about how striking the cover is in person. The photo does it no justice but it truly is as memorable as the book itself.

Thank You.