Official Review: Soul of the Earth by Tonya M McMillan Reed

shynmr · Post by **shynmr** » 04 Jul 2020, 22:12

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Soul of the Earth" by Tonya M McMillan Reed.]

2 out of 4 stars

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Soul of the Earth is a collection of poems written by Theresa McMillan. Her niece, Tonya McMillan-Reed, collected and published the poetry after Theresa passed away. While the story of this book’s publication is heartwarming, the work itself failed to meet my expectations as a collection of poetry. If I could individually rate the poems, I would give a few 4 stars; however, I am giving the book a rating of 2 out of 4 stars.

Most of the subject matter in the poems is rather banal. This could be seen as a strength, as presenting the things we take for granted in day-to-day life can be inspirational; however, the author’s writing often seemed self-censored rather than bold, which left me feeling tepid toward her words. In many cases, the poems also felt half-written, which made them seem more like one-time musings than developed poems.

As I mentioned, some of the poems stood out as exceptional, and I really enjoyed a few of them. My favorites included “A Hateful Heart,” “Terri’s Song,” and “Secrets.” I felt the honesty and depth in the aforementioned poems and believe they represent some of the poet’s best work in this collection. Those were not the only good, honest poems. Two poems specifically spoke to the author’s upbringing in the civil right movement era and conveyed a sense of timeless connection to an ideal. Despite the author penning them decades ago, “One Day in June” and “Be Jubilant, Soul” are perfect poems for the present. While they both espouse the value of community, finding strength, and standing up for one’s beliefs, I found “Be Jubilant, Soul” particularly poignant; its call for “people to stand, all for one, hand in hand” really resonated with me.

Tonya included several handwritten, dated versions of Theresa’s poems throughout the book, which I thought was wonderful. I wish all of the poems included dates so I could consider what was going on in the world when Theresa penned the poetry. I especially wish Tonya included the original version of “Terri’s Song” in Soul of the Earth because the book’s name is derived from part of the poem. I believe readers would feel more connected to Theresa if they could see the handwritten version of "Terri's Song." Perhaps Tonya will include it in future editions.

Overall, this short book of poetry is not bad, but it is lackluster. Several of the poems would make wonderful additions to topical anthologies of poetry and are worth reading. I believe anyone who reads the book will find at least a few poems they really enjoy, but the collection would appeal most to people who simply want to read a light book of eclectic poetry.

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Soul of the Earth
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Rodel Barnachea · Post by **Rodel Barnachea** » 02 Aug 2020, 18:55

I find it sad that the book didn't live up to your expectations. I agree with your for the most part. Great review!

kljrox · Post by **kljrox** » 02 Aug 2020, 21:52

I'm not a fan of poetry, but I do appreciate the thought behind this collection. I'm glad that some of the poems resonated with you. I find it heartwarming that the poet's niece gathered her poems and made a book. Thanks for the honest and insightful review.