You Are a Sacred Place: Visual Poems for Living in Climate Crisis

by Madeleine Jubilee Saito

"A singular gift. At once gentle and piercing, spare and profound, [Saito's] artistry breaks open hearts, releasing rivers of love for what is––and grief for what is already lost." –– NAOMI KLEIN, New York Times bestselling author of Doppelganger

In her debut collection of comics, artist and climate activist Madeleine Jubilee Saito offers a quietly radical message of hope. 

Framed as a letter in response to a loved one’s pain, this series of ethereal vignettes takes readers on a journey from seemingly inescapable isolation and despair, through grief and rage, toward the hope of community and connection.
 
Drawing on her faith as well as the tradition of climate justice, Saito reminds readers that if we’re going to challenge fossil fuel capitalism, we must first imagine what lies beyond The beauty and joy of a healed world.

Genres: Poetry, Graphic Novels, Comics, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Nature

Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2025

Reviews

[Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saito reached a hand into some of my very own darkest climate crisis-induced depressive thoughts and drew me gently back into the light. We are all part of this natural world, and we are meant to be here, and it is good that we are here. Those things can be hard to remember sometimes, but these delicate comics underline their truth.

[Libbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been trying to hold on to
That taut thread
Between past and future

I have been praying for
Relief

You are a sacred place is a graphic novel that seemlessly blends art and poetry together to convey a message of hope, loss, love and a need to help one another and the world around us. The main theme surrounds climate change and the hopelessness and despair people feel around their perceived inability to change things... Whilst instilling hope and optimism for the future.

People are places
And you are
A sacred place

The art style is truly beautiful. The dichotomy of the soft pastels contrasted against some of the harsher colours and illustrations, alongside the poetry evoked such raw emotions from me.

I am preparing for a future that stretches and tears
But trees with roots that knit together beneath the earth
Survive the biggest storms

I would truly recommend this book to anyone interested in enviromentalism and activism. Even those new to those worlds. Books like this are so important and make me have a little more faith in humanity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Aberdeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have followed Saito's work on social media for years, and her monthly comics are one email I always open right away. This was one of those no-brainer pre-orders for me, and it lived up to all my expectations. The book itself is beautiful, worth every cent—it's cloth-bound with stamped lettering on the front, thick, luxurious pages, a coffee table-quality book that's also small and compact enough to fit on a regular bookshelf or in a backpack. In this digital age, I love when artists invest in analog details like this.

Of course, the content also bowled me over. In her bio, Saito describes herself as "a Christian and anti-capitalist," two camps I don't imagine most people associate together. But she's able to thread the needle between acknowledging the despair we can feel looking at the havoc humans have wrought on the environment, without giving in to the despair—her story ends, like the story of the Bible, with healing and wholeness and redemption. It reminds me of Gerard Manley Hopkins' luminous poem, "God's Grandeur:"

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil
And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

Like Hopkins taking comfort in the image of the Holy Ghost "brood[ing]" over the world, Saito concludes that we can have hope because, in her words, "God is in love with the world."

Some people will conclude that no loving God can exist in a world this broken; others will resist the phrase "climate crisis" and worry over the seeming softness of a God in love with a fallen world. This is why this book is so necessary—regardless of where you stand among the scientific, ethical, and political complexities of caring for the environment, there is a truth here for you.

The truth that some things really are broken—and some of it really is our fault (even if you don't agree that it's catastrophic or a net evil). The truth of lament.

And the truth that there is a loving Creator and Sustainer who gives us every breath and keeps every subatomic particle in place and cannot be thwarted by our mistakes (even if it's hard to square brokenness with a good and powerful God). The truth of hope and courage.

Anyway, this isn't a sermon or apologetic; it's a book review. As a book of "visual poems," this succeeds wonderfully. I thought the ratio of text to imagery was excellent—as a writer always tending to over-wordiness, I admire Saito's sparse, restrained language that stands out all the more brightly for its rarity. And her images are both soft and arresting. The play with shape, color, motifs, light and dark, sky and sea, roots and branches, flowers and skyscrapers is just delectable. The foursquare comic spread combined with watercolor-style art and poetic text is uniquely immersive. What a glorious piece of art.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Are a Sacred Place is such an incredibly comforting read. The text is in the form of poetry. The images are in the form of four panel blocks. It examines the feelings of intense anxiety and depression that so many of us feel when thinking of the ongoing and ever worsening climate crisis, and it reassures us that it will be okay because we will make it okay. It allows us to feel those negative feelings while also embracing us through pushing past them, either for rest or for action. I came out of reading this feeling as though I'd just come through an incredibly satisfying meditation session. It shows us images of wildfires and oil spills and sadly lying in bed, but it also shows us images of birds flying and roots tangled and stars twinkling and partaking in the fruits of the earth and arising from bed.

This is a gorgeous book, and I hope to one day have a physical copy of my own. I could see rereading this when I need a boost.

[Patile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was so visually stunning. The illustrations perfectly reflected the themes of the meaningful poems that accompanied them. They are minimalist but the colours used just complement the vibes of the book so well. Scrolling through the e-Arc just made me feel so calm. I really enjoyed my reading experience. I would definitely get a copy of this for a coffee table or something to flip through.

[Ana Ćupurdija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written as a response to a loved one's suicidal thoughts, this book is a mesmerizing testament to how beautiful the world is, with us in it.

While the motives of God are mentioned a few times, which might not personally align with my view of the world, I really enjoyed the sentiment of the poems and the stunning illustrations that followed them.

I could relate to the themes being discussed and the poetic approach gave me hope and felt like a big hug in a sorrowful world.

This book is highly artistic and the paintings are a crucial part of it. I thoroughly enjoyed the art style, which was formatted in two-by-two boxes. The use of watercolor was top-notch, and I love how the artist manipulated different panels to make effects of smoke, light, and drops.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a ray of love and hope regarding the state of the environmental crisis.

Thanks to the NetGalley, author, and publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bea (beansbookshelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.

I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations are beautiful and the poems are meaningful. Really makes you think about global warming and climate change, and how we should join forces and work together to protect our only home.

[Amanda Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

spareness, delicacy, containment--these quietly controlled comics feel like taking a deep inhale when you're scared to breathe: your skin stretching until your whole body feels like a lung. there's more depth than you thought; there's more hope than you thought. i see some reviews doubting the "poem" part of these "visual poems" as there aren't many words on each page (roughly a sentence per page) but i think giving words more "breathing room" is half the point. we are stuck inside, with four panels that function as a window or crosshairs, an x & y axis for finding hope amid disaster. the repetition of images (candle, hands, stars, smoke) and their intermingling absolutely earns the designation "visual poem" just as ghazals, sestinas, etc utilize these strategies. i suspect some comics-first readers will wonder why the images aren't doing "more" just as some poetry-first readers are asking why the words don't do more, but there's discipline and bravery in the tight-rope walk here. one reviewer admitted to a "joyless" feeling about the book but joy would be inappropriate in a book about climate crisis and suicide/extinction. holding on is the triumph, not joy.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this while I drank my morning coffee, stopping occasionally to watch birds at my feeder through the window.

Beautiful, though as an agnostic/atheist, the god stuff didn’t connect. Nevertheless, what kind of person only reads and gains from reading only what is in line with their priors? Besides, I was once told by an atheist attending AA that “god” can be anything you need it to be. For me, I guess, it can be like the fungi that allows trees to communicate with each other below the surface of the earth. I think the author would be ok with that reading.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this was framed as a response to a loved one’s dark thoughts

The whole book felt like a warm hug, and that there would be hope

[Aria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also on Snow White Hates Apples.

Delicate yet profoundly hopeful, You Are a Sacred Place is a collection of comics centred around the climate crisis and the despair stemming from the perceived inability to create change. It is a beautiful book filled with gorgeous illustrations and thoughtful, minimalist prose.

However, I’m uncertain if these pieces can actually be called visual poetry. As impactful as they are, there still aren’t enough words to provide a sense of being alive — of greater feeling and cadence fundamental to poetry. Rather, I think it’d be more fitting to call the pieces in this collection visual stories as the illustrations are the ones carrying most of the meaning.

Nevertheless, this book is a balm to the soul. It is a good book to turn to when you’re feeling down and in need of quiet solace.

Thank you so much Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

[Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Netgalley ARC - an important visual poem. I think the formatting is done super well and works in tandem with the art style. I like how it played with repetition and sequence. I didn't realize it was christian/came in part from a religious place, but seeing an anti-capitalist religious narrative was oddly healing.

[Darth Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Who told us that this petroleum world/is all there is?"

"Everything breathes in/everything breathes out."

"It is very good/that you are here."

Had me at anti-capitalism, lost me at God is a real being way up in the sky watching us and there's enough resources for unfettered human growth.

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

"People are places
And you are
A sacred place"

You Are a Sacred Place is a beautiful combination of art and poetry. There is a sort of rhythm to be found in Saito's union of pictures and text. A lapping of waves, an ebb and flow, a symmetry and a cadence. Which makes this work feel like a wholly unique expression of artistry.

The narrow colour palate shows us Saito's vision. Soft pastels contrast, but also occasionally mix with black and grey tones. Giving us the impression that while some ideas might be at odds, we can unite as a people to work towards solving this problem together.

"Can you imagine all of us
Trusting each other
Working together
For our common home?"

Saito strikes a perfect balance between not shying away from the darker sides of climate change, while instilling a need for action and optimism for the future.

I would recommend You Are a Sacred Place to people who love art, poetry, and environmentalism or activism. Even people new to environmentalism, because I believe it has the power to create a whole new generation of activists. This book will make a great present and coffee table book.

"Enough of disruption and extraction -
How beautiful, the quiet work of maintenance"

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing and Madeleine Jubilee Saito for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Ayxan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“People are places, and you are a sacred place.”

A prayer/help call to the beings in power to let Mother Earth heal.
A letter to those who are fighting depression and need some hope in their life.

I’m not sure whether the poetry-like illustrations are paper-drawn or digital, but the watercolor/aquarelle(/-effect) does give a calming, traditionally drawn vibe. If it is drawn on paper, it would definitely enhance the message even more. (And inspiring to paint again, as an artist.)

I do love how you can’t tell the genders of the 2 characters sleeping. Makes it easy to see oneself in the bed.

A bit too much mentions of god, as for me the fact “mother earth is dying” can’t go hand in hand with the belief “god loves his creation”. However, on the other hand, I also get wanting to hold onto the tiny idea that god (or whatever you believe in) hasn’t yet given up on us.

I’m not religious, rather agnostic, but I was raised catholic. This book basically feels like one of those lengthy prayers that you find in children’s religious books. Not the Bible-stans who force everyone into their cult, but the positive side of Christians – those that spread kindness and want to create a safe heaven on earth for children.
Combined with fighting despair. And a pinch of melancholy.

Let’s hope that god (or whatever higher being) hears this prayer.

~

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing on Netgalley for an eARC.

-24.03.25

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of Madeleine Jubilee Saito since I saw her work featured in “All We Can Save”. I even feature her artwork in my classes when we discuss artivism and environmental art. So, when I heard about this book, I slammed that pre-order button. And I was even more excited to receive an email from the author herself offering to speak with my students!

Through Madeleine Jubilee Saito’s signature four-panel “comics”, this book of visual poetry is a powerful example of the climate crisis made personal. With sparse narration, recurring visual themes, and beautiful watercolor illustrations, the author/artist leaves the reader feeling hopeful, interconnected, and in love with the world.

I appreciate Madeleine Jubilee Saito’s worldview, claiming both Christianity and anti-capitalism as two of her core befliefs, which may often be seen as conflicting. But this book makes sense of how to hold both. I think this is a book I will return to over and over again, and bring in for my classes to enjoy for years to come.

[Mallika Mahidhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have followed Madeliene’s work on Instagram for a really long time and to be abel to read her book is truly a delight. I have loved their work so much (even signed up for their newsletter waaaay too early to get a free print) and genuinely loved that this book explores climate crisis through their stunning visuals.

Madeleine’s work at a glance seems simple but truly is the visual poetry the book says it is. The book's illustrations / visual poems talk about various aspects of the climate crisis. In a way, these simple but poignant illustrations make you focus on the book's message rather than getting lost in the illustrations.

I love how they talk about humans being together, how they draw different skies, and especially how a book has once again captivated me and will stay with me for a very long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an ARC!

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quiet rage about the eco-catastrophe the book is trying to counter. Images are generally in a tight grid of four with a hard line between them, 2x2 on the page with a lot of white surround. Sometimes the grid is imposed on one image, perhaps to zoom out to a bigger picture, perhaps to have a specific something in the centre of what almost look like square gun sights. Imagery is heavy on the stars, guttering candles, and blackness, as it seeks the power of the former in the oily stench of the latter. But while it looks interesting, and takes very few minutes to explore at an initial level, it is pretty distinctly joyless. Optimistic, yes, and full of some religious kind of hope, but joyless nonetheless. I would never choose to examine it again.

[Serena]

I recieved an ARC of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know Madeleine before getting this ARC, so I don't have the attachment to her that people following her for a while have. I went into this book practically blind, not knowing what to expect. The illustrations were very beautiful, I specially liked the ones about smoke because I lived in a burning city for a while and I hadn't seen anything being able to capture what taking in smoke with every breath feels like. I read this in one go, and I think maybe it isn't the ideal way to do so. Maybe having a physical copy as a coffee table book is more appropriate than reading it by the pool in twenty minutes.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful book that I came across by chance on NetGalley. I'm sure the physical copy will be even more beautiful than the digital version, which was already great. Madeleine Jubilee Saito embeds hopeful poems alongside and within art in simple but meaningful panels. The simplicity adds to the beauty. There are hardships; there is pain and damage. But there is hope and community, she says, in the ongoing struggles of life and climate change. This book is a good addition to high school libraries even though it's probably geared more toward adults. I'm thankful to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is 3.5 stars for me. The book explores the climate crisis from a faith perspective through gentle prose and illustrations. The images are haunting and dark but so are the climate issues that we are currently facing today.

The author shows how faith can bring hope to the crisis and she asks some pertinent questions. I enjoyed reading this but I felt the artwork didn’t exactly convey the hope that I needed. It is a good book but lacked hope for me. It did raise the question about whether there is actually hope and that is a good issue to reflect on.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Andreea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a really pretty, really tender poetry book done in illustrations - a four-by-four panel that kept changing, building the world and the message of this book, which is quite important: climate change is real, capitalism sucks.

In goes through a lot of dark themes, touching on our worth as humans, especially the worth that capitalism puts on us, but in the end it's still full of humanity. I want to believe in that, in spite of everything happening around us.

A really really nice picture book for adults.

[Bookmeaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

You are a sacred place. 4/5.

Review in english & avis en français plus bas.

Where do I even start ? One thing is for sure : that book has something special in it. Something different. It's impactful. So simple yet so essential. We need to talk about it. More. As human beings.

It's a really nice touch to have the trigger warnings at the beginning. Maybe don't read it when you're in deep dark place. Pay attention to the trigger warnings.

Also, it's a good thing I didn't read it during summer time or I would have, for sure, mentally broken down seriously.

You are a sacred place is a collection of such simple drawings and a few words splattered here and there, yet it is so so so impactful.
I love how that book is made. I love the graphic style, the chart, the rhythm of it. Soft, smooth colors. The wording. The layout of it. It's really simple. It clashes with the contrast of the strong message behind it.

I don't know how a book managed to make me feel that touched, and stirred something deep within me, with just a few words and colors. So simple, very effective.
It's sad. It's beautiful. It's honestly gut wrenching. Light and dark, pretty selection of words

There's silence. Heavy but important, crucial subjects. For humanity. And a glimpse of hope. Necessary hope.
Really loved the experience of reading it.

(I'll probably add more about it when the book is out)

--

L'avis en français sera peut être répétitif mais aussi complémentaire sur certains points et aspects de ma découverte de cet ouvrage.

Ça a été une expérience de lecture vraiment hors du commun pour moi. Dès le début ça m'a impactée. C'est tellement vrai, profond, déchirant et humain. On apprécie les TW mentionnés au début. Ça a été vraiment touchant, et dur. Et ça va chercher quelque chose en nous.

J'ai vraiment adoré la pâte graphique. Le style si minimaliste mais qui dit et exprime beaucoup. La palette de couleurs : douces mais accueillantes, tristes et nostalgiques presque. Le choix des mots. C'est très simple. Le contraste avec la force du message.

J'adore comment le format de la page est organisé avec le découpage et le concept des quatre -- quatre parties, quatre saisons, quatre étapes d'un jour, la terre la mer le ciel et les étoiles. Comme les quatre vitres de verre d'une fenêtre qui a vue sur le monde, sur l'extérieur et sur soi ?

J'ai adoré comment le dessin joue avec ce format coupé en quatre, quand les mots et les dessins, coulent d'un cadre à l'autre, passe à travers et par dessus, par dessous. On a vraiment un fond et une forme.

Le seul bémol, qui fait que ce n'est pas un 5 étoiles, c'est le côté un peu trop ramené à la religion, pour moi. Car ça reste un message universel, avec ou sans cet aspect.


#YouAreaSacredPlace #NetGalley #bookmeawayreviews

[Wylde-reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This book was beautiful. The poems were hopeful and soothing. A reminder that things aren’t always as bleak as they feel. The artwork was muted and beautiful and told a visual story along with the poems. This book feels like a soft place to land when you’ve had a bad day. It’s a reminder that community and taking care of the environment is vital.

While I don’t know that I’d buy a copy, this book was a balm on the soul. I highly suggest reading it if the opportunity presents itself.

[Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came across this beautifully illustrated book-length poem in the library stacks.

Dream-like, the poem grapples with eco-anxiety and despair. Central to the poem is the idea of connections between plants, animals, people, and our environment.

It’s a work of quiet consolation. The text concludes with the line, “We are not the beginning / and we will not be / the end” sans final end mark, resisting conclusion (176). The images continue for several pages, creating a contemplative space for readers.

[Astrophel R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is like a bedtime story for adults. The sparse use of words makes a book that’s so cozy and comforting, while also offering political commentary. This would be a great book to have around and reread any time you feel particularly alone or struggle to envision a world that isn’t being drained of life by corporate greed.

[Stina Pettersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You are a sacred place" was such a nice and meaningful set of poems and illustrations that really makes you think about climate change and the world in general. I love how the illustrations are minimalist, but somehow pack such a punch when put together with the poems.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Night · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful collection of illustrated poetry. I never seen poetry in this form before so I was quite pleased to be able to read it. The poetry book is a love letter to ourselves, the people we share this world with and the earth, the sun and the sky. While also being a letter of heartbreak and hurt. Heartbroken that we, the people have hurt the earth that gives us a home.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A digital copy of this book does not do it justice. I think the art is lovely and the way Saito connects the earth, mental health, and her feelings are beautiful. I do have an issue with current poetry, as a Rupi Kaur stan, I think she set a precedent for short poetry that relies heavily on empty space. I wish each stanza had more. More words, more feeling, and more cadence.

[abril · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, to dream of a better world, a healthier world, a gentle world.
It is a warm and hopeful read for people who are also worried about the future of the planet.

(I imagine people that believe in god would enjoy it more than I did, but it was nice)