Samantha Kolber’s poetry collection “Birth of a Daughter” defies expectations. Speaking as someone who does not have any children and is surrounded by people asking why she doesn’t want any children, I expected something completely different.
Yes, there are beautiful moments, but she does not sugarcoat the painful process/ miracle of birth. She is breathtakingly raw, honest, and humorous at the same time. Her use of white space throughout the collection is symbolic of how labor and raising a child can be full of chaos. It also reflects how uncertain and, quite frankly, scary the whole thing can be. Through beautiful imagery, jaw-dropping figurative language, and wild and wonderful diction choices, she not only shows you the beauty of giving birth, but she does not skip over the portions that your relatives just so happened to leave out when trying to talk you into it. She takes you through the morning sickness that does not live up to its title/designated time of day. She takes you through the frustration, pain, and sexual isolation that comes with trying to grow a little person in your uterus. This, in my mind, makes it the most honest and excellent collection of poems dealing with themes of childbirth and childrearing. She has a wonderfully unexpected sense of dark humor.
After the poem that signifies the birth of her daughter, the book then takes you through symbolic moments that are pure joy and pure exhaustion of raising this exceptional little lady. There are also moments of reflection when it comes to mothers that have proceeded her that are both beautiful and heartbreaking. It is a lovely collection. Her beautiful and painfully raw truth is something you have to see for yourself. I highly recommend this collection. Also, don’t be surprised if you find yourself calling your mother after reading it and thanking her wholeheartedly for going through this process.
Follow the link below for purchasing information:
https://samanthakolber.com/purchase-book
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