I Am Maria: My Reflections and Poems on Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Your Way Home

by Maria Shriver

A book like no other, I Am Maria weaves Shriver’s hard-earned wisdom with her own deeply personal poetry. I Am Maria reminds readers there is strength and love on the other side of all of our hardest days.

I Am Maria is a powerful collection of Maria Shriver’s own poems that grapple with identity, grief, love, loss, longing, heartbreak and healing.

Her deeply personal poems address life’s transitions, challenges, successes and failures. Vulnerable and deeply moving, Shriver’s words are a collection of her life experiences woven into poetry to inspire everyone on their own journey. It is also an invitation for readers to write their own personal poetry, reclaiming the art as accessible to everyone and a tool to look within.

I Am Maria is a roadmap for anyone trying to shed the labels, layers, and armor that holds us back from creating a wildly authentic and meaningful life.

“I never imagined writing poetry would help me embark
On a journey deep into myself
I never imagined that everything I sought or thought I needed
Was within me all along”
—from I Am Maria

Genres: Poetry, Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Biography, Adult

352 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

Maria Owings Shriver is an American journalist, activist, author of six best-selling books, and former First Lady of California.
-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Rochelle Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was eagerly anticipating Maria Shriver's new book, but I have to admit, I found it somewhat disappointing. I knew it would include some of her poetry, but I also expected more personal stories about her life. While she does touch on aspects of her past—such as growing up, her family, and the end of her marriage—she barely scratches the surface.

I would have preferred if she had shared more about the life experiences that inspired each poem. While there are moments where she provides some context, they felt too brief. Perhaps my expectations were simply different, but I was hoping for a deeper, more personal narrative to accompany her poetry.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t a typical memoir. Rather I would call it a memoir of Maria’s internal journey toward self discovery and healing told through free form style poetry. The catalyst for all of this internal work seemed to have been the break-up of her marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger following his admission of infidelity, something that left her utterly shattered. She was also coming to terms with a childhood in which she didn’t get the maternal nurturing she craved and in which the family dynamic equated love with achievement and success.

The poetry is personal and raw. What comes through are Maria’s struggles to define herself outside of her relationships with others as well as a sense of strength and resilience. I appreciated her honesty and found some of the poetry very profound and relatable.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Maria, I'm sorry it took so much pain and so many years to find your true self...but, you did it! You are such a good soul who has found a beautiful balance between contemplation and action. I think of a more personal expression than writing in free verse. Thank you for sharing that with us and encouraging us to do the same.

These are really discouraging times for our country and world. I always anticipate your Sunday Paper arriving in my inbox with a message of hope.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Am Maria: My Reflections and Poems on Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Your Way Home (audiobook) by Maria Shriver read by the author.

This was such a deeply personal look into a life that we all have gotten to see play out in the headlines of the news. Maria was so brave to publish this. This poetry was written as therapy to help with the anguish and betrayal that she experienced. And ultimately a way to connect with her children and grandchildren.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am no worshipper of celebrity. These poems are heartfelt, intimate, and extraordinary. Perhaps a little too repetitive. She probably won't get the praise due her because of who she is or was. She's just Maria. Folks raved over the young poet Amanda Gorman but I believe Maria is better. I ended up buying this book.

The first 18% is narrative.

Then nine groupings of poems.
Uncovering
Discovering
Longing
Revealing
Heartache
Healing
Loving- poems to each of her 4 kids on their 18th birthdays.
Hope
Home

Epilogue. Eight pages of narrative.

Talk about a journey of discovery!

[Emma Mead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book single-handedly reignited my love of poetry (both reading and writing my own). Each section felt like a build to the end, where we finally get a sense of cathartic release and a sense of coming home to oneself. 🤍

I laughed. I cried (UGLY tears at that). I’m so glad I picked this up on a whim.

[Dogsandbooksanddogsandbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to PRHaudio for my free copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I appreciated that Ms. Shriver read this book herself which gave it a personal, authentic touch. I enjoyed her reflections the most and wish there had been more of that between the poems. Shriver really put herself out there with this very personal book of poetry which came across as a form of journaling.

Her stated wish was for listeners and readers of this book to be encouraged to write about their lives in whatever form as a way to make sense of things. Shriver's life has been huge starting at being born a Kennedy. It is evident she works to make it all make sense for herself even to this day.

[Deb Spera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate giving an author a few stars. It takes a great deal of courage and fortitude to write a book, and I do not take that lightly. This one started off promising. I'm a fan of the work Maria Shriver does in the world. She seems kind, smart, and vulnerable. Her openness about the difficulty of continually trying to achieve to earn her place in the world is one I can completely relate to. It is universal and not just relegated to women. I know many men, as well as women, who are hard-charging, who hang their identity on their careers. I was, and likely still am, among them. Shedding that mask interests me, and I was eager to read how she shed that identity.

However, the author lost me with the poetry. I'm glad they were helpful to her. I can see how they would be, but this poetry was mundane. For me, and I'm no poetic expert, they lacked specificity. The poem Dallas had promise, but it failed for me for just that reason. She finds herself, I assume, looking out of the book Depository in Dallas, seeing the shooter's vantage point, but this is all so vague. Where are the details, the moments that were specific to her? The smells, the sights, the imaginings? I love the poetry of Natasha Trethewey and Rita Dove and Sharon Olds. Mary Oliver is transcendent in her metaphors and similes, as depicted in "The Journey." But Shriver's poems don't add value to the book. For that reason alone, I am giving 2 and a half stars, rounded up to 3.

[Karla Osorno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 5 stars.

This book of reflections and poetry is Maria Shriver’s story of moving from denial to building her life from the inside out while sitting still and dealing with a lifetime of emotional pain and grief. Shriver’s identity shift and move to her true self was helped by slowing down her life and writing poetry. Her insights and story are balm to the soul of midlife women.

What I loved most is her honesty without revelation. She showed respect for herself and her family. Yet her words evidence her pain and her vulnerability. Every poem has value. Some I deeply identify with. This is a book I am recommending to many friends. I did make a short list of some favorites poems from the collection and quotes from the book. But read it for yourself because your takeaways will be unique to you.

Some of my favorite poems:
A Room Full of Grief
I Know You Loved Me
Cherished and Shamed
Picture Perfect
Time Stood Still
Rejection
Those Moments
One by One
Hand It Over to God
Life is Hard and Then It’s Not
I Finally See You

Favorite quotes:
“You may be wondering what on earth took me so long to see these truths? Trust me, I’ve asked myself that question 1 million times. But I now understand that I couldn’t have known these truths until I learned them – and I couldn’t have learned them until I lived them – and I couldn’t have lived them until I had to.”

“I would have to be brave enough to take off the layers of armor I’d been piling on since I was a child. Now I knew that armor was shielding me not only from danger, but from myself.”

“And I also learned that when that lifetime of disassociated grief and trauma is released, it rushes out like a tsunami, and it feels like you’re going under and can’t breathe. But there also came a shocking and critical lesson: that I am strong enough to survive my own grief, my own pain, my own loneliness.”

“I’ve learned that no matter how fast you run, life will catch up with you – and when it does, you have to decide if you’re going to push it away or pay attention, stop, and reboot.”

“I believe our life’s work is to do the deep work of uncovering and understanding all parts of oneself, because all parts of you have value. There’s not good or bad. There’s just humanity.”

“Having a full, meaningful life means embracing the whole of life – the perceived bad as well as the perceived good. That’s the goal of my poetry: to embrace the whole of life. To awaken, to unearth, and to evolve and grow in a new direction. One’s own.”

[Sophia Mccutchen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am Maria. ⭐️ i’m not sure I’ve ever given a book in this group one star I know I have two stars. But this is a solid one star. I was hoping for a memoir. This is definitely not a memoir. I did know there would be poetry but the poetry was so depressing. This woman has major mommy issues. And I don’t know the whole tone of the whole book. I feel so yucky and just kind of depressed after it. I really enjoyed listening to her speak on podcast and I find her to be intelligent and kind and really intriguing. But this book was none of that. She also says from the start that she’s not going to be dishing out family drama, but I begged to differ. She definitely raked her mom through the coals. Hopefully you’re reading is happier than mine!

[Sahar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Shriver breaks more than a decade of silence, turning the pain of the betrayal of Arnold Schwarzenegger in their marriage. Each piece feels like a quiet conversation; raw, tender, and real. She doesn’t dramatize the heartbreak; instead, she lets the weight of small moments speak for themselves. Her strength comes through not in anger, but in reflection, healing, and gratefulness. That’s what makes this book so moving.

[Dorothy J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

An audiobook that i thought was ok. I enjoyed the first part of the book more than the poems. Overall, I thought the book was self indulgent given that Maria Shriver has enjoyed extreme wealth and privilege her whole life.

[Dawne Haase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a supporter of Miss Maria Shriver. My Mother loved her Mother and Father. I’d say that is how I became aware and introduced to them. I have watched and listened to a few of Miss Maria’s books through audio books. This book goes deep in herself and she shared her fears, her trials and tribulations and how she ultimately finds her true self. This is such a courageous book written with the heart and soul of herself. I am encouraged and ready to begin my own soul searching through writing and poetry. Thank you for writing and sharing this remarkable book🩷
Absolute beautiful book.

[Loretta M. McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book very much and surprised myself since I am not a big poetry reader. I thought Ms Shriver wrote from the depths of her heart about the pain, humiliation, and the highs and lows that life deals all of us. I related to her later years as a grandmother and mother. She does not name names, which is part of the intrigue. It was a fast read but I am going to keep it for future reference. She spoke to me, and I am sure many others.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like her essays and read her weekly Sunday News Letter so I was interested in reading her poetry collection. She was very honest about her life and the poems were very personal but I found some repetitive. The prologue about why she started writing poetry was the best part of the book.

[Gabriella Cuevas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of poems by Maria. I am not someone who is drawn to poetry so I was a bit hesitant but it flowed so well and honestly is inspiring me to write my own poetry. She talks about her struggles with getting creative and tapping into her artistic side… she makes you believe anyone can share their life stories in the form of poetry.

[Magan Jordan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to the family history stuff but the poems bored me.

[Melinda Godfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook enjoyed her poems

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

My lower rating is likely more a hazard of me not reading book descriptions before picking them up rather than a reflection on the quality of this book. I assumed this was going to be mostly memoir with some poems weaved throughout. But it’s a short memoir with the majority being poems after the first quarter of the book or so. Not really my jam.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid 3 star read. The memoir piece was engaging and enjoyable but the poetry was a no for me which is what made me give this rating.

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed going through all her poetry. Some of it connected for me more than others, which is expected, but the ones that hit really did hit.

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started well, poetry is inane.

Chosen because it’s the current bestselling nonfiction. Seemingly any Kennedy family book is bound for the list.

For the beginning I liked the awareness of privilege, explanation of choices, and description of upbringing.

Very quickly after the poetry began I had to stop because it is almost comical. It felt too personal and simultaneously was uninteresting. Currently also (slowly) reading A Century of Poetry in The New Yorker which is probably a tough comparison.

Will update with quotes.

[Valeria Jamison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought this book would be different from what’s it was. I thoughts she would have more insight to her life. And while she does do a fast recap of her life she really does not go into it. And she makes that clear she will not and never will. I was hoping she would have the poems dispersed thru the book with insight on why she wrote them. What was going on with her life.

[Marsha Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star. I respect and admire Maria Shriver. Writing a memoir in poetry form is an ambitious undertaking and it’s obvious that poetry is an important way for her to express and know herself. I’m happy for her growth and evolution.

That being said, I have to say I enjoyed the small narrative part of the book much more than the poetry.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF- can’t get down with poetry

[Ms. Tongate, TLC Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Maria Shriver as a person, journalist, and an author. She is pure class, wise, and a survivor. Her poetry is raw, powerful, and heartfelt. This is a MUST read by audio (Maria is reader). I did both.

Background: (a period of significant personal loss over a period of 2 years): p.23
All brought me to my knees. I describe that period as "marinating in grief."
Maria's Mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, passed away at the age of 88 in August 2009.
"My Mom's death knocked me off my feet. I was overcome with grief to the point I was sure I wouldn't survive.
2 weeks after her mother passed her Uncle/Senator Teddy Kennedy died in August 2009
1.5 years later, Maria's Dad, Sargent Shriver, died at the age of 95, Alzheimer's disease, in Jan. 2011
Then the life altering blow, her 25 year marriage ended publicly in May 2011.
"Alone one night on the hotel floor with tears streaming down my face, I knew what was ahead of me was going to be hard- really, really hard. It was going to be scary and uncertain. Somewhere deep down I knew I could survive. I knew I HAD to survive."

p.30 I was raised to believe bravery meant never giving up, always hanging in no matter what. WRONG. I've learned it's brave to be emotionally honest and vulnerable. It's brave to be open, especially after you've been hurt. It's brave to stand up for yourself. It's brave to change your mind when you realize YOU were wrong. It's brave to choose yourself over someone else, especially when that means moving into uncharted territory. It's brave to admit your mistakes and ask for forgiveness---and then it's really brave to move forward, when you're terrified. And it's brave to choose love over everything else, especially love for yourself.

p.31 Like everyone, I've made lots of mistakes. One of them was tying my self-worth to my achievements out in the world. Another was thinking I had to work to earn love. It took me a long time to learn that you don't have to achieve anything in order to be worthy of love. You just are. Another big mistake was thinking that someone could guarantee my safety, my security, my worth, and my peace.

I am Maria lines: p.321 And so...
I was raised in chaos in a very famous family. My mother wore the pants and worked all the time.
My father was a handsome, gentle man. He lived for my mother. I wanted him to be tougher and stronger. When I was 5 my uncle became President. We lived in a hotel in DC. When I was 8 in 3rd grade my uncle Jack was shot. My mother never recovered.

I never wanted anyone else's life. I wanted my own.
I'm an introvert and an extrovert
I'm tough and I'm tender
Strong and frail
Feminine and masculine
Soft and gentle
Wise and curious
Yes, all of those things can go together
I am a force of nature
I am MARIA.

p.333 Poet Emily Dickinson whose voice continues to inspire me. Her famous line, "I am out with lanterns, looking for myself" is one of my favorites. It perfectly sums up how I feel about my life's work.

[Kellie Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about this book when Maria was interviewed by Simon Sinek on his podcast (April 8, 2025). The interview provides a glimpse into the essence and inspiration for the book. More interesting, there are details about Maria and Simon’s close friendship. At first, I thought they were joking when they said they were best friends. By the end of the podcast, I believed them. The conversation was so engaging that I knew I wanted to read the book.

However, the description of the book during the podcast and in promotional blurbs led to a misunderstanding of the content. Based on some of the Goodreads reviews, I am not the only person who expected a slightly different format. I expected a memoir, with poems generously dispersed throughout. However, poems comprise the majority of the book.

In the Kindle version:
Pages 1 to 35- Reflections section (brief memoir)
Pages 37 to 323- Poems (divided into thematic sections, such as Discovering, Longing, Heartache, Hope, Home)
Pages 325 to 330- Epilogue, which wraps up the memoir.

The first line of the reflection section provides the theme for the book. She states:
“I am Maria.” It has taken her a lifetime to say that and feel it was enough. In this section, she describes the circumstances that forced her to break through a lifetime of denial. At the lowest point in her life, she started writing poetry as a journaling practice.

She includes some family history from her vantage point. Her family did not value or allow sitting down—do something to help others! She describes finding her calling, a career in journalism. She had to step away from journalism when she became 1st lady of California.

There are many subtle comments about her difficult, but loving, relationship with her mother (Eunice Kennedy Shriver), which become clearer in the poetry section.

The poems provide insights into many difficulties she experienced. She introduces the poems, which are directly from her journals, by saying the book is not salacious or secret spilling. They are not gotcha revenge stories. It is a journey in poetry. I agree that they are not revenge stories. However, to me, they seem deeply personal and revealing. I was initially uncomfortable reading them. I did not understand why she would share such personal feelings.

Towards the end of the reflection section, she states: “I’ve learned that no matter how fast you run, life will catch up with you—and when it does, you have to decide if you’re going to push it away or pay attention, stop, and reboot. Poetry has been my way of rebooting.”

Below are lines from four of the poems included in the book:

(Directed at her mother) “I know you wanted more for me than you had been given. I knew you wanted for me everything that you had been denied.’

“One day is today. Don’t trade today for one day. Because one day may not come.”

“Life is endless moments. They pass through, rarely noticed or counted. (…..) The moment you’ve missed so many moments. That was the moment that hurt the most.”

“No one tells you it will be about the little things. They tell you it’s the big things. It’s not.”

I went back and re-read the reflections section after I read the poems and the epilogue. The poems allowed me to understand the depth of emotions she experienced throughout her life, as she searched for her identity. After reflecting on the book for a week after finishing it, I understand that she shared the poems so others can consider this powerful journaling practice.

[Elise Skidmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few months ago I happened to be watching CBS Sunday Morning. One of the segments was about Maria Shriver and her new book of poetry. Color me surprised. I’d known Ms. Shriver as a member of the Kennedy clan, as a journalist, a newscaster, and the ex-wife of a famous actor/politician. I didn’t know she was a poet. Why it came as a such a surprise, I don’t know either, but I watched the segment with great interest. Along with the interview, she read one of her poems, and I decided I wanted to read this book.

I Am Maria finally made its way to the top of my TBR pile last week. It begins with Maria setting up her narrative, not a detailed memoir, but basics of her life from childhood to where she is now, just in case you didn’t know the details, even though her entire life has been in the public eye. After that, the book is separated into sections like uncovering, discovering, longing, revealing, and so on, each filled with poems written through her life. She doesn’t give you explanations, no “this is what was happening when I wrote this.” You can imagine that on your own from what she’s already told you—or you can just read them for what they are and how they relate to your own life.

It takes a lot of courage to put your innermost thoughts and feelings on paper. It takes even more to share them with the world. Maria Shriver deserves kudos for doing that in a world that’s all too willing to take shots at her for it.

While I can see where Maria’s story fits with the poems, the poems speak to me too. They remind me that people are still people. We all go through things in childhood that create who we are today, whether you come from riches or poverty, fame or obscurity. She was raised not to voice her pain, because she had so much to be thankful for. I could relate to that because I often feel the same way. We’ve all got troubles and so many are worse off than I am, I shouldn’t complain.

Maybe I’ve been a bit long-winded here. I should probably know better. But each day as I read a few more of her poems, I wanted to let others know how much I liked it. It strikes me that she writes poetry the way that I do, that is, it’s not bound up in the technicalities of form, but in the thoughts and feelings we all live through. It’s not political, it’s personal. It’s about being human and all that goes with it. I would've given it 5 stars, but her poetry is void of all punctuation, which at times tripped me up while I was reading it. I'd recommend you give it a try.

[Joanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Glimpse of Healing, Still Seeking Authenticity
"I am Maria" offers a raw, often uncomfortable look into the author's journey, particularly her attempts to mend a deeply fractured mother-daughter relationship. For those who have experienced similar familial toxicity, Maria's recounting of her past trauma and her steps toward reconciliation will resonate and even offer glimmers of hope. She lays bare the emotional wreckage with commendable honesty, and her insights into breaking cycles of pain provide genuinely valuable guidance for anyone seeking to heal from a difficult upbringing. The book truly shines when Maria delves into the practicalities of setting boundaries and the painstaking process of forgiveness, even if that forgiveness is more for oneself than for the other party.
However, a lingering feeling of inauthenticity prevents this from being a truly transformative read. At times, Maria's narrative voice feels a bit too polished, almost as if she's performing her healing rather than truly living it. There are moments where the emotional depth feels somewhat superficial, a curated vulnerability rather than a raw outpouring. This isn't to say her pain isn't real, but rather that its presentation occasionally lacks the messy, unvarnished truth that would elevate it from a memoir to a profound personal testament. While "I am Maria" might offers a beacon for those navigating similar relational challenges, one can't help but wish for a deeper dive into the unedited self, beyond the carefully constructed poems, many of which simply seemed to scratch the surface. It's a reasonable effort with sometimes helpful takeaways, but it leaves the reader still yearning for the full, unmasked Maria.