Book Review
Title: The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One (Women Are Some Kind of Magic #3)
Author: Amanda Lovelace
Genre: Poetry
Rating: *****
Review: So after reading the first two books I wasn’t sure whether this book was going to rehash the themes from the other collections or bring something new into the narrative that Amanda has crafted. I was a bit apprehensive going into it but it follows the same format being split into four sections; the sky, the shipwreck, the song and the surviving but I was still eager to see what this collection had in store for me.
The sky is a section I connected to on a very personal level as it speaks of the hurt following abuse and assault, specifically sexual assault and rape and those scars and memories and pain never goes away. But if you are lucky, you find someone who helps you to heal and loves you completely even with those scars and memories that will forever haunt even your most pleasant of dreams. “when i tell you i’m still waiting for my Hogwarts letter, what i mean to say is i never meant to be here for so long”, this poem spoke to me as for me it is a message from someone who has contemplated suicide and feels even to this day they weren’t meant to be in this world this long and yet continue to live on, and feels like they will never completely belong.
The shipwreck really focus on abuse and sexual assault and how even after it’s over the memories never fade. It was so familiar and so heartbreaking when you read of this faceless person allowing something to happen or staying with someone they shouldn’t to save someone else from the same. The next two poems really hit home for me and really chocked me up even though I’ve felt free of that experience for years, “swallowing the memories is like biting down on a mouthful of sea glass— the iron pulling up my her throat is the only way she knows she’s still alive - try as i may, i keep spitting you up” and “the heaviness of your hips never goes”. That last one even though it is only one line was something that struck a chord with me, it is true that even years, decades after the abuse has ended the memories will remain burning into your mind and body for the rest of your life. “when you left this earth, you left behind someone who will always feel like they’re a body for the taking, first; a person, second. i used to want you to be wracked with guilt, but these days, i’d settle for you feeling even an ounce of it.” This is exactly how I’ve felt for many years of my life and when the author questions the difference between victim and survivor and where she stands it reminded me of the struggle I face every single day and how each day I have to say to myself you will always be a survivor and never a victim but some days are harder than other.
The song was my favourite section of this collection as it talks about overcoming that abuse and finding yourself again. It talks about choosing what matters in your life, choosing who and what you let affect it. The line that spoke to me the most was choosing what first count and sometimes the person who touched you first does have to be your first because whether you say no or can’t say no, they both still count as abuse and your first should be the first one you want whether it is your first or your fiftieth. “becoming your own savior sometimes means knowing when you need to ask for help” and that is a message we can all take to heart and use every day in life.
The surviving was interesting as it features a lot of poems from women who has survived just like the author and myself. “when you’ve walked on daggers your entire life, you don’t even know how to trust the softness of sand between your toes”, this poem really resonated with me as I felt this way when I had my first relationship after the abuse I suffered but it eventually began my road to healing. One of my favourite poems in this whole collection doesn’t come from Amanda Lovelace, “there are no paved roads to healing. you must build one brick by brick. there will be backtracks before breakthroughs but— you must collapse into yourself before rebuilding. you must unearth every wound before learning the power of salt. you will build that yellow brick road— in your own time and on your own terms” and this was the most inspiring poem I have ever read and I think that is a good place to end this review.
Overall, The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One didn’t only live up to the previous two collections but surpassed them, I felt more connected with the words of the women in this collection that I ever did in the previous two collections. I highly recommended these collections to all women and men as well, as men might be able to understand the thought processes of women who have been abused and provide them with a place of safety and comfort but not smoother them with overwhelming emotions they won’t be able to cope with.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Also see: The Princess Saves Herself in This One (Women Are Some Kind of Magic #1) by Amanda Lovelace
Comments