Songs of My Grandmother: On Finding Ourselves, Each Other and the Things That Make Us Come Alive

by Sara Surani

Genres: Poetry

320 pages, Paperback

Published March 11, 2025

Reviews

[Nathaniel]

This is an intensely beautiful piece of work. I am a huge fan of poetic memoirs, and this is one of the best I've read.

[Tatiana]

What a wonderful collection of thoughts! I’m so inspired. I never write on books and I found myself folding page corners and underlining sentences I wanted to later go back to. So much of this resonated with me. I did not want to finish. It was comforting to go back to the book every few days and keep discovering new ideas and phrases. Truly beautiful!

[Margaret Armstrong]

Some parts I absolutely loved and some parts were too abstract for me

[Rachel Coutinho]

A book of prose and poetry that speaks to a range of human experiences and of places from around the world.
Highly recommend!

[Mariem Bchir]

A Soulful and Vivid Journey Through Emotion

One of the most beautiful, raw, and soulful poetry books I now own. What makes it even more special is listening to the author read her own poems and stories—her soothing voice adds a whole new dimension, bringing the words to life in a way that lingers in the heart.

This book made me feel everything—love, longing, joy, and even the kind of sadness that feels like a warm embrace. One of my favorite aspects is the way the chapters are color-themed, with each hue reflecting a distinct set of emotions, creating a stunning emotional spectrum.

A truly beautiful read (and listen!) for when you want to immerse yourself in your feelings. Highly recommend, especially if you love poetry that speaks to the soul.

[Henna Malik]

The kind of poetry you can read again and again only for it to find new meaning with each read. It’s the kind of poetry where you force yourself to slow down just to savor every word. Sara Surani is a brilliant author, and I’m eagerly waiting for her next piece of work!

[Mahfer]

I’m conflicted because at the beginning I was loving this book. The author is Pakistani and included Portuguese elements, which I thought was such an amazing mix. Since Ayesha is my wife, I was so excited to share this book with her. But somewhere in the middle to the end, I lost a lot of interest. It started to feel kind of boring. I don’t know if it’s because I still struggle with poetry and plotless narratives or because the character felt so privileged, traveling all around the world lol. For a while, I thought she only lived in South America until I read a poem about Seoul and was like !?? Then I finally understood, lmao. Also, what 27 year old woman walks from Portugal to Spain with just another woman? Crazy!!

[Sasha]

Such a beautiful book. I never read poetry but I loved it because of how it was incorporated into the book. The authors stories are so incredible and some of them were so emotional. And I loved the way the chapters were played out by colors and emotion.

Loved this book and I own it if anyone wants to borrow!

[Mariam Dogar]

Can't wait to read this for a SECOND and THIRD time because there are so many nuggets of beauty and wisdom.

[Daryn Forgeron]

This is book is full of life, joy, and deep, vulnerable humanity. It's wonderful to read and come back to.

[Jenn]

Really beautiful!