From a poet and celebrated spoken-word performer comes a debut poetry collection that takes readers on an empowering, lyrical journey exploring truth, silence, wounds, healing, and the resilience we all share. Dear Girl is a journey from girlhood to womanhood through poetry It is the search for truth in silence The freeing of the tongue It is deep wounds and deep healing And the resilience that … healing
And the resilience that lies within us
It is a love letter
To the sisterhood
more
“Dear Girl,
You ask me what I wish for you.
I simply say –
Never allow any soul to clip your wings.
You were not born an ember.
You were born the flame.”
Dear Girl is a debut poetry collection by Aija Mayrock, who also reads the audio version. Simply put – her words are beautiful and empowering. This is a quick listen – less than 45 minutes – but I took so much away from it that I found myself playing it again and again.
“There is no such things as weak women.
Only women who have not stepped into their power.
Step into it.
The world is waiting.”
Aija is only 25 years old but her writing is wise and soulful. Covering topics from sexual harassment and body image to gender identity and racism, her verse is a punch to the gut at times, while at others, it lifts you up.
“You were not born to please.
You were brought here to disrupt, awaken and speak truth to ease the pain scattered around.
So when you are told to quiet down, I hope you grow louder.
You are an entire symphony that needs no applause.”
I listened to this with my daughters, who are tweens, and it sparked a lot of thoughtful discussion. Aija’s words are a call to action, a warm hug and a reminder that women are a fierce force to be reckoned with.
“You are nothing but sheer miracles born from the ashes of women who have walked this earth before you.
That is why you must speak truth.
For other women have done the work and you must not dismantle it.”
***Please note that I transcribed these quotes from the audiobook so they may not appear as the author intended in written form.
Thank you to NetGalley, Andrews McNeel Audio and the author for an advanced listening copy to review.
I want to choose my words carefully but my mind is buzzing with thoughts of the many empowering poems that I/m having trouble getting it all sorted out. I wish that I had this book when I was younger, but when I was younger the author was younger. But I’ll guarantee that my daughters have these word made available to them.
In today’s society females are often corrected. Corrected on how we dress, act and even how we feel. Our natural body is one we have become accustomed to being ashamed of. We doubt ourselves, we hide, we change and we bash one another.
Mayrock did a phenomenal job of flowing words together to create the most impact in reminding us that we are WOMEN. We are strong, beautiful, smart and deserve so much more than we are given by our male counterpart and what we cast out and receive from other females.
Not only does she cover love and loss, she manged to bring new life to our menstruation and equability. She encourages us to support one of another as whole as women.
I loved every bit of this book. I loved that she narrated the audio book herself. Which in my opinion brought so much more fire to each and every word written & spoken.
Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an eARC for an honest review.
I hadn’t heard of Aija Mayrock before finding her book on NetGalley and then went on to find her on Instagram and fell in love with her spoken words and everything that she stands for. Her first book being focused on bullying is one topic that has pushed her into her success as she is speaking for the voiceless. ‘Dear Girl’ is a beautiful debut poetry book that encourages and builds up women. It feels like Aija is focused on seeing what sometimes feels like we can’t put words to. It isn’t a book that shames men or feels like an attack but a push for equality and speaking the truth and how we as women have to live.
‘Dear Girl’ is compiled of five chapters that focus’ of different topics. Summarised as the truth, freedom, healing, love and sisterhood. I have to say that my favourite piece has to be ‘The Truth About Being a Girl’ because it is such a beautifully long piece that I read as a spoken word and went on to find her actual spoken word and loved it even more. It really was an empowering read and I hope to read more from Aija in the future.