Review of Grace Notes: Poems About Families

Grace Notes: Poems About Families Grace Notes: Poems About Families
by Naomi Shihab Nye
Middle School, High School    Greenwillow    240 pp.
5/24    9780062691873    $19.99
e-book ed.  9780062691897    $11.99

Nye’s (most recently Everything Comes Next, rev. 1/21) latest collection of free verse poems is divided into two parts: “No Age Is Empty” and “Sometimes We Need a Bigger Family.” Her focus is on growing up and her own personal family circle, particularly her mother. The 117 lyrical poems reveal the many ways that families, friends, culture, and memories shape us. One of the book’s major themes is posited at the start: the beauty of living with “the fact that we exist at all / is a random grace note / of a forgotten symphony.” The poems ask deep questions such as “Who are we all, in the big picture?” or about “who you might / become, / how you might / unfold.” Nye does not shy away from addressing some of life’s difficulties, including her mother’s depression, the constraints of having strict grandparents, and even the impact of war. In “Everyone,” each of the three parts offers a powerful revelation: “Everyone has burdens”; “Everything is a mystery”; and “Everyone has secrets.” The verse is vulnerable, channels emotions that are universal, and raises existential questions and observations in reflective and comforting ways: “Life / is full of mysteries. / They’re not mine, not yours. / They’re life’s.” Full of love, empathy, and compassion, these poems are thoughtful, honest,and uplifting.

From the ">September/October 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

Sylvia Vardell

Sylvia Vardell is a professor in the School of Library & Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University and author of Children’s Literature in Action, Poetry Aloud Here, A World Full of Poems and the Poetry for Children blog.

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?