Milk & Honey by Rupi Kaur - 5⭐

Date Started: April 30th, 2023

Date Finished: July 16th, 2023

You'll notice that I started this short poetry book (it's only 204 pages) way back in April, but it took me until mid-July to complete. That is because when I opened the book and read the first poem--a poem that wasn't even in the main sections of the novel, but acted as an introduction of sorts--I immediately knew that Rupi's words would wreck me. Literally, my first written note in the book was: "Already stunning. This hit my heart so heavily."

So, I set the book aside for a while, only picking it back up when I knew I was emotionally prepared. Or as emotionally prepared as one can be.

My time away wasn't enough, apparently. In the first section of the book entitled 'the hurting,' I absolutely lost it. Rupi's words offered a slow and steady build that culminated in a sudden and violent outpouring of tears. I am honestly still surprised by my visceral reaction to her art, both in word and illustrative form (did you know that she wrote, illustrated, and self-published this particular book when she was 21??). I am in awe that she has the ability to evoke such incredibly powerful emotions from just three or four lines of text. I don't know how she does it. It is so magical and beautiful and heartbreaking and real. 

Take this poem for example:

do not look for healing

at the feet of those

who broke you

And my immediate, written reaction to it:

"OMG! Screaming + crying! Yes! This!"

This sort of reaction happened on nearly every page of Rupi's book. I made the conscious choice NOT to add book tabs to Milk & Honey because I quickly realized they would be redundant. I was already furiously jotting down all of my feelings and reactions and insights under each poem. Every page would need a tab at that point!

Needless to say, this book is a pure work of art. I have not ever had such a strong reaction to any other book ever. Of course I have loved other books and felt a great many things with them. Honey Girl and An Invisible Life of Addie LaRue both come to mind. Those books made me feel lots of truly beautiful things. But Milk & Honey is unlike either of those books in that is hit me at my very core. I related to it in such a massive way, I truly felt as if Rupi was writing about aspects of my life. I would have loved to have had her words to guide and comfort me through those hard times. Even though I didn't have them back then, I am so thankful to have them now.