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Harmony: poems to find peace

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From TikTok phenomenon Whitney Hanson, a brand-new collection of poems exploring the progression of a life through the elements of music

In this collection of all new poems, Whitney Hanson explores the progression of a life through the lens of music. We each begin with a simple note, but as life progresses, we're led to the next note, and the next - all of which combine to form the melody of a song and the cadence of a life. As life becomes more complicated and complex, we find that loss, grief, and heartache can muffle our music, making the world go silent. But as Whitney's poems show, all of these rests and pauses in the music are part of the magnificent composition of life.

Broken into four sections - melody, rest, crescendo, and harmony - the poems in Harmony explore childhood, friendship, grief, acceptance, and peace. The result is a collection that emphasizes the beauty of living a life at peace with all its musical variations.

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2023

436 people are currently reading
6879 people want to read

About the author

Whitney Hanson

11 books844 followers

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5 stars
1,706 (49%)
4 stars
1,136 (33%)
3 stars
487 (14%)
2 stars
77 (2%)
1 star
27 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 450 reviews
Profile Image for TL *Humaning the Best She Can*.
2,342 reviews166 followers
September 6, 2025
Dealing with alot of life stuff right now and some days it's harder t0 get out of bed when all I want to do is hide from the world 🌎 (some days I wish could teleport away for awhile).

My concentration and motivation on reading hasn't been great and there were days I just didn't have the energy to read at all. It's not always easy to fight your mind and life sh*t ✨️ when you just feel lost and heavy.


Whitney hanson's poetry has a been a balm and a light for me, I felt calmer knowing her poems were waiting for me when I was ready and didn't mind taking my time with it.

This just really touches me deeply and I can’t say enough that you should check out this book 📖.

Thank you Whitney 😊.
Profile Image for Sacha.
342 reviews102 followers
December 6, 2023
Harmony by Whitney Hanson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)

I‘m no expert when it comes to poetry. I always thought it to be boring or complicated… not with these young poets like Whitney Hanson, Christi Steyn or Nikita Gill.

Whitney Hanson‘s poems hit very close to home. Luckily I never lost somebody… yet. But I had to and still am fighting depression which is in some ways very similar in my opinion. There were and are some dark days and some bright days. Sometimes I can easily get on with my life and other times I have difficulties eating, showering or basically living.

I loved these poems and I love to see that I‘m not alone! I can easily recommend that book and hope you love it as much as I did! 😁😍👍🏻
Profile Image for Howard.
2,119 reviews122 followers
January 15, 2025
5 Stars for Harmony (ebook) by Whitney Hanson.

I found Whitney Hanson on YouTube reading her poetry and now life doesn’t feel complete unless I have some of her poetry in my life every day.
Profile Image for Maryann Larucci-Troche.
382 reviews41 followers
December 10, 2023
Regarding literature, I strongly like poetry, particularly those that capture emotions and experiences that many can relate to. What particularly caught my interest in Author Whitney Hanson's book was her insightful exploration of themes such as love, loss, grief, and healing.

I developed an appreciation for this book while reading it and after finishing it. Despite its ability to be completed in an hour or less, I prolonged my reading experience as much as possible. The added aspect of this book is that the poems are written in the form of a story, depicting a young woman's journey experiencing love, loss, grief, and eventual healing. ❤️‍🩹

It is impossible for anyone, except a machine, to read this without feeling emotionally moved. In my case, it transformed into a book that unexpectedly became a crucial treatment for my well-being.

As I read this poetry story, I was profoundly moved and had to pause and contemplate various parts of the book. It caused me to reveal myself and compelled me to begin jotting down my emotions and thoughts that I had not realized were still lodged within me.

Through this surprising therapy of journaling, I started gaining a deeper comprehension of what I was clinging to and ultimately comprehending that even though I will always long for my departed loved ones, I must embrace life while I am still alive.

I felt as if the author, Whitney Hanson, was personally speaking to me when she wrote. I quote, “I am here, as long as your fingers can turn the pages, as long as it takes for paper to crumble to dust, I am here hidden in this book waiting for you to come back any time you need to be reminded that you are loved.” End quote.

There is still so much life left to experience, filled with affection, contentment, tranquility, and delight. The moment has arrived for me to begin living it.

I can’t say it enough: Whitney Hanson knows how to write and touch her readers deeply and make them think. I cannot wait to read all her previous books.

Profile Image for Cherlynn | cherreading.
2,125 reviews1,006 followers
February 10, 2024
3.5⭐

A moving collection that's both bittersweet and hopeful. I enjoyed how it navigates love, loss, grief and healing. The book is split in 4 parts and I loved the third (Crescendo) the best, as well as the introduction.

Most of the poems are beautifully written and full of heart, but a handful were too basic for my liking. There were also some one-liners that felt like mere fillers. Still, the author's grief as she talks about the death of her best friend is palpable and I believe this is a book that will help readers feel less alone.
Profile Image for asapidox.
130 reviews41 followers
October 17, 2025
⭐⭐⭐✨

Harmony is a moving and resonant read, especially in its raw, honest portrayal of grief. The pacing drags a bit in the middle, but the collection succeeds in capturing the storms and silences of the heart. A solid, worthwhile read for anyone looking for poetry that honors the full range of emotions.
Profile Image for Shirley.
58 reviews
January 16, 2024
Oeps, de post-it tabs zijn op... maar ik zou geen betere plek weten voor ze dan in dit boek :)
Profile Image for Aurelia Lovelace.
116 reviews5 followers
April 22, 2025
This made me feel something.
To the author: Thank you for soothing my soft heart.
Profile Image for Alisha.
1,233 reviews137 followers
December 4, 2023
This volume follows a grief trajectory, in poems that are heartfelt and honest. I can imagine some moods that would be just meant for paging through this collection.
I really like the free verse style and the vulnerable lower-case letters.
--------------------------------
i know
more than anyone
that nothing i can say
will mend the hole in your heart
so first
forgive me for trying
---------------------------------

they call it letting go but truthfully, it's nothing like letting go. you don't get to dangle your heartbreak over a cliff and then release it when you feel you're ready. you don't suddenly get to drop your pain into a void and never speak to it again.

instead you learn to carry your hurt more comfortably. you sew pockets in your soul that you can tuck your grief away in. and little by little it gets easier to hold it all.
---------------------------------

sometimes i wonder if atlas was never really holding up the sky, he just believed that he was, and that belief was crushing enough.
---------------------------------

when your world becomes light, do not neglect the person you used to be. i hope you harbor no hate for the girl crying silently in her bed.

she was only doing the best she could
with the cards in her hand.
Profile Image for schwarzweisszauber.
89 reviews65 followers
May 1, 2025
Wie wundervoll können Worte sein? Dieses Buch war für mich ein absolutes Highlight und alle Poems einfach nur eine dicke Umarmung für mich und mein gebrochenes Herz, welches auch nach 12 Jahren nach dem Tod meiner Mama nie ganz geheilt sein wird.

„For they know more about love because they know what it costs.“ 🤍
Profile Image for Soha Ashraf.
585 reviews401 followers
August 22, 2025
Her poetry just keeps getting better and better. Some of her poems are truly amazing
Profile Image for Sophia Hammond.
154 reviews
February 21, 2024
-There's something about TikTok poetry that sort of irks me. I'm a poet and I'm still experiencing a learning curve as I hone my craft. There's so much about formatting that I've yet to learn, and that's something that I believe these TikTok poets lack.

-My complaints:
-----TikTok poets rarely title their poems. My view may just seem cynical but I think that makes these poems feel cheap.
-----TikTok poets often write 2 sentences and call it "poetry." It feels lazy and not well done to me.
-----TikTok poets rarely capitalize their poetry. it's always like this no matter what. I realize that may be a style choice, but it feels sort of, again, lazy.

-Note: please don't read this and think I'm hating. I'm just critiquing. There's a lot of better poetry than this but because this is what's popular, it's often overlooked. My advice? Research other poets other than TikTok poets like Rupi Kuar or Whitney Hanson and read some of their work.

-Another note: There were a few poems in this book that I rather enjoyed. This type of poetry just isn't my kind of thing.
Profile Image for Jaella.
268 reviews4 followers
December 20, 2024
DNF - it is tik tok poetry

you don’t get to add
a break in the line
take out the capitals
and throw in “you” when you mean i
and call it
good
poetry
~*that is essentially the definition of tik tok poetry*
Profile Image for Jessyca David.
Author 10 books763 followers
November 3, 2024
3,5 ⭐️ I always relate to Whitney’s words, this one a little less than the two previous books, but I never seem to have enough of her work.

Some poems - thoughts - were maybe ”weaker” in the way they did not make me feel as much as the others. But one thing for sure, her words always are welcome and help me process difficult emotions.

I highly recommend all of her books for that 💫🫶🏽
Profile Image for urooba.
15 reviews2 followers
November 11, 2023
stanza poetry is really not my thing lmao. in my opinion if this were written as a novel and not 2-10 lines per page, it would’ve had the added depth of the message(s) and been much better. i liked how it was organized with musical references to sheet music (crescendo, decrescendo, etc), symbolizing the feelings of heartbrokenness and conveying the emotional turmoil of lifelong grieving.
Profile Image for Leda.
112 reviews20 followers
March 16, 2025
1,5

Some beautiful thoughts, but it gives Rupi vibes. This is not poetry, and I’m not sure why we’ve let the industry convince us that it is. I don’t want to trash the book because, obviously, some people love it, felt seen by it, and I can appreciate her vulnerability regarding grief. That’s always valuable. I know that depoliticized ‘get outside and see the sky’-type books aren’t for me, sooo that’s on me. But come on… this is our modern poetry?
Profile Image for Zoey Schaefer.
131 reviews
January 7, 2024
Powerful and emotional poems about grief told through the heart of music. By reading these pages, I felt understood and no so alone in my feelings.

i get so sick of the going to

it's going to get better
life is going to be good again
you aren't always going to feel this way

i know that one day it will be better
but what do i do with this shattered heart today?
Profile Image for Ashley's Novel Idea.
481 reviews25 followers
November 10, 2023
If you've ever known grief. Pick this book up. She took the pain etched on my heart and put them into words. Such a beautiful book of poetry.
Profile Image for Cel.
466 reviews20 followers
December 23, 2023
4stars! I rarely read poems because I have a hard time interpreting but this book is very relatable and written for someone grieving, like me at this moment in time!
Profile Image for Emma.catherine.
872 reviews145 followers
February 9, 2024
HEARTBROKEN 💔 i have finished this beautiful piece of art 📖

Best poetry I’ve read since Rupi and that was a hard act to follow!

Definitely buying her previous book - Home - anyone else read it?
Profile Image for Simina Morar.
14 reviews32 followers
April 8, 2024
"what a privilege it is
to have someone
you cand be so fragile with"

feeling :)
Profile Image for Eva Helena.
173 reviews2 followers
January 16, 2025
Absolutely loved it <3
(also cried, obviously, it’s heartbreaking but oh so kind and healing as well)
1,164 reviews1 follower
January 13, 2025
4.25. Not a poetry person but these hit home. I will have to re-read several times
Profile Image for Elina.
54 reviews2 followers
March 25, 2024
3,5⭐️ I admired her previous books “Home” and “Climate”. I cried all the time and felt so understood through the whole book. This one was a bit disappointing for me. I love Whitney and I love her books and some quotes really touched my heart but some didn’t at all. This book is more about her experience of grief and for putting her grief into words she gets a 5/5 but the other books were so much more speaking about my experiences too. I still like this book and I’m really looking forward to upcoming books from her. ✨
Profile Image for Emily.
131 reviews1 follower
July 26, 2024
Rarely do I read a poetry book in one sitting. Even more rarely do I get so thoroughly ripped into shreds and sewn delicately back together all in one sitting.
Profile Image for Patricia.
1 review
June 18, 2024
Can we stop glamorizing basic art with minimal effort and detail?
I was gifted this after a close friend of mine died and I read it about 9 months later, when I had moved on.
These reviews disappoint me; did we read the same thing?
It is so dry and absolutely revolting to me as a dedicated classics reader.
I’m so sick of these uneducated TikTok influencers thinking they’re different because they can read and spell: that does not mean you are a talented writer.
All they write is artificial “literature” like this filled with
intentional grammatical errors for aestheticism’s sake.
Genuinely a waste of paper and time.
Poets like Dickinson, Byron, Plath and Wilde did NOT die for this.
Profile Image for haley :).
148 reviews22 followers
December 13, 2023
i read this book not with the grief and loss of a friend/loved one, but i read this with the feeling of the death of my childhood as i grow up. no matter what type of grief you deal with, at all forms and levels, whitney hanson knows how to speak to you in the most eloquent style of connection and love.
out of her 3 currently published books, each one speaks to a different theme. altho this one wasn't the book that spoke to me the most, i enjoyed each poem just as much as i did the last.
4.5⭐️!
Profile Image for JulienneReads ✧.* ◡̈.
239 reviews261 followers
Read
October 15, 2023
For everyone who experienced love and loss. That was a process. Seeing the stages of grief transformed into pages was a process. I love how it did not just end with acceptance, but with healing as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 450 reviews

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