What do you think?
Rate this book
no swaddle
Mackenzie Kozak examines the complex question of whether or not to bear children. Through a series of untitled American sonnets, the poems speak to themes of origin and desire, noting the shame that can accompany such a decision. Many poetry collections speak to the varied griefs of becoming a mother, losing a child, or being unable to have a child, but this collection gives specific voice to another grief that feels the possible conclusion of not wanting to be a mother.
no swaddle reads as a sort of meditation on theme, its repeated form mirroring the spiraling nature of indecision and reconsideration of the same major question alongside its continuous struggle to name. In the end, this grappling with elements of grief and shame becomes a way of moving toward greater agency and fulfillment.
no swaddle reads as a sort of meditation on theme, its repeated form mirroring the spiraling nature of indecision and reconsideration of the same major question alongside its continuous struggle to name. In the end, this grappling with elements of grief and shame becomes a way of moving toward greater agency and fulfillment.
- GenresPoetry
80 pages, Paperback
Published April 10, 2025
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 18, 2025
*3.5 stars*
no swaddle is a collection of sonnets that ruminates on the question of whether or not to have children. It’s a timely collection, and one that approaches the subject from many angles.
There are several elements of this work that I appreciate. The fact that the sonnets are unnamed and thematically related creates quite an immersive reading experience. The poems flow right into each other and can end up feeling very intertwined in places. This helped me sit with the themes more, instead of viewing each poem in isolation, and I enjoyed consuming the collection in that way.
I also thought the use of language struck the right balance for my personal taste between being complex enough to be interesting without feeling unapproachable. Still, there is something missing for me from this collection that is creating a disconnect, and I’m not even sure what. It’s just part of that subjective experience with poetry when something “clicks” with you, and for whatever reason, these poems haven’t been lingering with me in my mind after I have stepped away from them. I just hoped they would have more of an emotional impact on me.
Overall, I felt like this was a cohesive collection with several beautiful poems. I think there will be a lot of people who resonate with this collection, especially if the topic is one you are interested in or have been reflecting on. Mackenzie Kozak is clearly a skilled poet, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more of her work in the future.
no swaddle is a collection of sonnets that ruminates on the question of whether or not to have children. It’s a timely collection, and one that approaches the subject from many angles.
There are several elements of this work that I appreciate. The fact that the sonnets are unnamed and thematically related creates quite an immersive reading experience. The poems flow right into each other and can end up feeling very intertwined in places. This helped me sit with the themes more, instead of viewing each poem in isolation, and I enjoyed consuming the collection in that way.
I also thought the use of language struck the right balance for my personal taste between being complex enough to be interesting without feeling unapproachable. Still, there is something missing for me from this collection that is creating a disconnect, and I’m not even sure what. It’s just part of that subjective experience with poetry when something “clicks” with you, and for whatever reason, these poems haven’t been lingering with me in my mind after I have stepped away from them. I just hoped they would have more of an emotional impact on me.
Overall, I felt like this was a cohesive collection with several beautiful poems. I think there will be a lot of people who resonate with this collection, especially if the topic is one you are interested in or have been reflecting on. Mackenzie Kozak is clearly a skilled poet, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more of her work in the future.
September 29, 2025
No Swaddle explores one woman's decision not to become a mother through a series of image-heavy, untitled American sonnets. What I love best is that desire and shame coexist. Some of the poems were so dense that I feel I will have to reread and reread before I grasp their gravity. Those poems that did resonate with me resonated deeply in my core. Naming her theoretical child "Lucy," Kozak asks her, "lucy, could i ask for your love, / for your pardon, if i do not make you? little bird, / could i go on loving myself without this?"
To the women who suggest the horrible insinuation that childlessness will make her partner hate her, Kozak says, "how do you know what will and will not incite / a bitterness, or what is it about his longing / that excludes my own body?"
Kozak's work is gentle in its confrontation of the unsympathetic without once sacrificing the author's stance. I am glad for this fearless collection, and I hope it can be a step for many toward seeing women's value, dignity, and importance, regardless of whether they've had children.
Kozak is a trailblazer in an often-unremembered corner of the complicated motherhood experience. As the back cover says, "Many poetry collections speak to the varied griefs of becoming a mother," but Kozak's collection gives a voice to the women who choose a different path entirely. I recommend this collection to any woman who chose childlessness, or any woman (or man!) who is critical of women who do.
To the women who suggest the horrible insinuation that childlessness will make her partner hate her, Kozak says, "how do you know what will and will not incite / a bitterness, or what is it about his longing / that excludes my own body?"
Kozak's work is gentle in its confrontation of the unsympathetic without once sacrificing the author's stance. I am glad for this fearless collection, and I hope it can be a step for many toward seeing women's value, dignity, and importance, regardless of whether they've had children.
Kozak is a trailblazer in an often-unremembered corner of the complicated motherhood experience. As the back cover says, "Many poetry collections speak to the varied griefs of becoming a mother," but Kozak's collection gives a voice to the women who choose a different path entirely. I recommend this collection to any woman who chose childlessness, or any woman (or man!) who is critical of women who do.
February 28, 2025
How I adore Ms. Kozak’s poetic gifts.
I see myself in these pages. I have never been pregnant, nor have I attempted to be with child. Yet, I can see myself on my knees, face above the bowl. I can feel the pain of loss and wanting.
I think it’s even clearer for me, than some of these other reviewers, because I am so torn on the concept of motherhood. For precisely this reason: pain, disappointment, all the lies fed to those who have yet to reproduce from those who have accomplished it.
Pregnancy is propaganda. That’s how I feel in this day & age. It’s all over Instagram. My mother wants it from me. My boyfriend’s mother, kindergarten teacher and more softly, also wishes for my child. Everyone wants to hold this unborn concept in their hands, against their chests. But what of me and my fears, my destruction?
I worry about mental health, I worry about the politics of it all. I worry about my security in relationships when shit hits the fan. And I read the words in this body of poetry, and my heart goes out to it. To their author. To every woman who has wanted with certainty, in equal measure to my uncertainty. Who feels as if their body has failed them.
I know how it feels to be failed by the physical self & I haven’t brought another life into the equation. Can I even handle it?
Why must we survive these expectations?
Thank you #NetGalley for a digital ARC. I would love to own a copy of this poetry collection once it is published.
I see myself in these pages. I have never been pregnant, nor have I attempted to be with child. Yet, I can see myself on my knees, face above the bowl. I can feel the pain of loss and wanting.
I think it’s even clearer for me, than some of these other reviewers, because I am so torn on the concept of motherhood. For precisely this reason: pain, disappointment, all the lies fed to those who have yet to reproduce from those who have accomplished it.
Pregnancy is propaganda. That’s how I feel in this day & age. It’s all over Instagram. My mother wants it from me. My boyfriend’s mother, kindergarten teacher and more softly, also wishes for my child. Everyone wants to hold this unborn concept in their hands, against their chests. But what of me and my fears, my destruction?
I worry about mental health, I worry about the politics of it all. I worry about my security in relationships when shit hits the fan. And I read the words in this body of poetry, and my heart goes out to it. To their author. To every woman who has wanted with certainty, in equal measure to my uncertainty. Who feels as if their body has failed them.
I know how it feels to be failed by the physical self & I haven’t brought another life into the equation. Can I even handle it?
Why must we survive these expectations?
Thank you #NetGalley for a digital ARC. I would love to own a copy of this poetry collection once it is published.
February 13, 2025
I was so excited to read no swaddle. From the summary alone, I truly thought this book was meant for me. However, after finishing the collection, I can't shake the feeling that I somehow missed the point of most of it.
To my understanding, this release is a collection of Kozak’s previously published poems and sonnets, curated and reordered to tell a cohesive story about the struggle of deciding whether to become a mother.
There are some truly breathtaking pieces in this collection. I was beyond impressed with how seamlessly each poem flowed into the next, creating a beautifully paced reading experience, while honoring the overall theme. A few pieces really stuck with me in that beautiful and unique way that only poetry can.
And yet, something was missing. As previously mentioned, only a few pieces really clicked with me, and I found myself searching for something more. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but some vital essence of the book just didn’t resonate with me the way I expected it to. Some of the works were extremely abstract and jarring in a way that made me wonder if I had understood any of it at all, leaving me feeling disconnected from the collection as a whole. While I admire Kozak's beautiful writing and obvious talent in this genre, I ultimately walked away feeling a little disappointed.
Two and a half stars.
To my understanding, this release is a collection of Kozak’s previously published poems and sonnets, curated and reordered to tell a cohesive story about the struggle of deciding whether to become a mother.
There are some truly breathtaking pieces in this collection. I was beyond impressed with how seamlessly each poem flowed into the next, creating a beautifully paced reading experience, while honoring the overall theme. A few pieces really stuck with me in that beautiful and unique way that only poetry can.
And yet, something was missing. As previously mentioned, only a few pieces really clicked with me, and I found myself searching for something more. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but some vital essence of the book just didn’t resonate with me the way I expected it to. Some of the works were extremely abstract and jarring in a way that made me wonder if I had understood any of it at all, leaving me feeling disconnected from the collection as a whole. While I admire Kozak's beautiful writing and obvious talent in this genre, I ultimately walked away feeling a little disappointed.
Two and a half stars.
February 17, 2025
An extremely gutwretching colection of poems about whether or not to bear children. It had indeed some poems that I enjoyed, but personally I just felt really disconnected to the poems. It is a really interesting and probably more perdobal and profound if you find yourself in this situation, but I just felt like something was missing
March 5, 2025
The poems flow well between and within one another, though sonnets and verse remain unnamed. This element allows for introspection within the work and critical mind to decipher. This work was well written and I look forward to future work of the author.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
May 1, 2025
Un poemario bastante meh. Writing quality good. Pero el resto meh.
Los poemas no se relacionaban, o la imagen no estaba clara, algo bastante importante a la hora de escribir un poema.
Los poemas no se relacionaban, o la imagen no estaba clara, algo bastante importante a la hora de escribir un poema.
June 16, 2025
Gorgeous debut!
November 3, 2025
This poetry collection is moving and insightful, and as a married woman without children, it really resonated with me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews