Review of "There Are Girls like Lions", a poetry anthology

This anthology aims to celebrate womanhood, and it does so very well. It contains a good variety of poems from poets ranging from Margaret Atwood to Naomi Shihab Nye, covering many of the different aspects of the experience of being a woman. The book is beautifully illustrated by Karolin Schnoor, and for me the illustrations became an important part of the reading experience, as I really felt they complemented the poems wonderfully and made the book come to life. The foreword, written by Cole Swensen, is a wonderfully empowering introduction to the book (I’d even go as far as to say it was one of the best parts of the anthology) rousing feelings of pride around being a woman.

The book contains some poets that I knew, and others that I didn’t, and I enjoyed reading their different styles, with each one managing to add something new to the story of womanhood. My personal favourite was Here Are Girls Like Lions by Elisabeth Hewer, as I felt it embodied the power and strength of women fantastically and it left a lasting impression on me through its powerful tone. Throughout the collection, each the poems built on the feelings of pride and empowerment instilled by Swensen in the foreword, and each seemed to flow seamlessly into the next.

The collection is pretty much the perfect length, as if it were much longer it could have risked becoming repetitive. Overall, it is a beautiful anthology, and one I found to be thought-provoking and inspiring. It is one I intend to return to time and time again in the future if I ever feel like I need some female empowerment, and I would definitely recommend this book to any woman with an interest in poetry.

8.5/10