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To Build a Home: Poetry and Prose
Winner of the Silver Medal in Poetry - General category for Readers' Favorite International Book Awards On learning that it's not love if it hurts you. On learning that abuse comes in many forms. On learning that home is found within yourself. On learning that self-love is the most divine love there is. On learning that building a home starts and ends with yourself. Within the pages of To Build A Home are poems and prose that explore not only the emotions that come with learning you are in an abusive relationship, but how you can learn to heal and love yourself again in the aftermath. It will help you discover that the most beautiful love is the love you give yourself.
- GenresPoetry
154 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2018
6 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Hinnah Mian
3 books22 followersHinnah Mian is an award winning Pakistani-American poet and author of To Build A Home. Her debut book of poetry won the Silver Medal in Poetry in the Readers' Favorite International Book Awards 2018. She shares her work on @hennapoetry on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 17, 2020
This collection was beautiful and I highly recommend it. It was deep and very unique from what I had read previously. It is full of long, meaningful poems and the writing was amazing.
May 24, 2018
‘I hope every time we say goodnight, it will never turn into a goodbye.’
West Virginia poet Hinnah Mian is a young Pakistani American writer who addresses self-love and healing – ‘on learning that it is not love if it hurts you, on learning that abuse comes in many forms, on learning that you can't make a home in someone else, on learning that the most divine love there is, is self-love, and on learning that to build a home starts and ends with yourself.’
In this eloquent and moving collection of works, sensitively illustrated by Sarah Sklar and Emma Dooley, Hinnah paints images of love and loss of love, of pain and resolution of pain, the dynamics of finding that nebulous place we call ‘home’. Her works blend prose with poetry but her words are so luminous that the line between poem and prose is blurred.
Some samples speak for themselves:
I AM A BELIEVER
I taste God every time my lips form your name—it is a worship song and every syllable in it pulsates with divinity. The heat of your breath on my neck is a hymn. When our hands are placed together I am reaching God. You are the mantra of my soul. Kiss me again. Write scriptures on my back with your nails. Whisper a prayer in my mouth. Oh, God. I am a believer.
GREED
I want to be your first fulfilled promise
And the last hand you hold
I want you to be my last first
YOU ARE YOUR HOME
Lost girl,
you will not
find yourself
in other people’s
eyes.
You will not
find your home
in the arms
of a stranger.
Do not wander
until you stumble upon
a place to stay.
Look in the mirror,
and say,
“You are home.”
This is the debut collection of poems from Hinnah Mian – young fresh thoughts that will be a pleasure to watch bloom.
West Virginia poet Hinnah Mian is a young Pakistani American writer who addresses self-love and healing – ‘on learning that it is not love if it hurts you, on learning that abuse comes in many forms, on learning that you can't make a home in someone else, on learning that the most divine love there is, is self-love, and on learning that to build a home starts and ends with yourself.’
In this eloquent and moving collection of works, sensitively illustrated by Sarah Sklar and Emma Dooley, Hinnah paints images of love and loss of love, of pain and resolution of pain, the dynamics of finding that nebulous place we call ‘home’. Her works blend prose with poetry but her words are so luminous that the line between poem and prose is blurred.
Some samples speak for themselves:
I AM A BELIEVER
I taste God every time my lips form your name—it is a worship song and every syllable in it pulsates with divinity. The heat of your breath on my neck is a hymn. When our hands are placed together I am reaching God. You are the mantra of my soul. Kiss me again. Write scriptures on my back with your nails. Whisper a prayer in my mouth. Oh, God. I am a believer.
GREED
I want to be your first fulfilled promise
And the last hand you hold
I want you to be my last first
YOU ARE YOUR HOME
Lost girl,
you will not
find yourself
in other people’s
eyes.
You will not
find your home
in the arms
of a stranger.
Do not wander
until you stumble upon
a place to stay.
Look in the mirror,
and say,
“You are home.”
This is the debut collection of poems from Hinnah Mian – young fresh thoughts that will be a pleasure to watch bloom.
Read
July 22, 2019 "And I folded myself so delicately into you that I winked out of this existence and into another."
January 26, 2020
Mian's debut book is an in-depth investigation of a relationship, exploring every aching nook and cranny, examining love and abuse in turn through various different lenses. Throughout the book, there are lines that are so precisely rendered that it's impossible not to feel their power and beauty, both. "You,/ you fucked me the way/ soldiers would a village,/ the way/ a gun would a mouth,/ the way/ I begged/ you not too." Every word is carefully chosen to maximize its impact and Mian does a painful subject justice with her beautiful language. Mian is definitely a writer to watch out for and I look forward to the next creation that will come out of such a wonderful mind.
December 31, 2018
This book is poetry in its finest form! To build a home is a soulful yet powerful poetry collection. Loved reading it as the author knows how to create stunning imagery and move the readers with her words. All poems will make you feel a range of emotions, placing a deep mark in your heart! You will actually feel the angst and pain and relate to the poetry, also the poet has managed to portray abusive love in the truest form, and written about it so as to empower & teach others and does not romanticise it even a bit. A MUST READ FOR ALL POETRY LOVERS!
One of my favourite poems from the book:
I loved the night sky so much
that I allowed you to take a needle and thread
and sow your spirit to me —
thousands of little holes covered my body,
like a painter who flicked his brush on a canvas
You said my body would finally resemble constellations
when the moonlight peered through me.
“Look at that “ you said. “You’re so full of light. “
One of my favourite poems from the book:
I loved the night sky so much
that I allowed you to take a needle and thread
and sow your spirit to me —
thousands of little holes covered my body,
like a painter who flicked his brush on a canvas
You said my body would finally resemble constellations
when the moonlight peered through me.
“Look at that “ you said. “You’re so full of light. “
May 23, 2018
To Build a Home: Poetry and Prose showcases the raw talent of Hinnah Mian. All poetry at its best, should be revelatory, and this collection of poems and prose goes beyond those expectations. Mian has a unique voice that pulls you in from different directions, you feel her pain, her angst about a relationship, and the qualities of love throughout that change. This is high quality writing, Mian has captured what it means to be in an abusive relationship, along with the turmoil that ensues. Even without that backdrop, the poems grow into something more intangible; how to actually love oneself and promote that relationship, instead of looking for external validation. Highly recommend for an amazing poetry collection that is emotionally rendered, completely thought provoking and wonderful.
May 27, 2018
“To Build a Home” is one of those poetry collections that is impossible to put down, once you start reading! As a reader, I was able to embark on a journey of self-discovery, healing, and finally, understanding about myself, and the very nature of love, in general. There is so much raw truth on each of its pages, and every poem written by Ms. Mian showcases her growth as a writer. “To Build a Home” does not only chronicle one’s own journey toward healing, but also the emergence of talent and truth from that of the poet herself. I’ve read this collection at least the times so far, from front to back. Choose this collection, and Hinnah Mian will quickly become one of your most favorite modern day poets!
March 25, 2020
A body of work that does not shy away from carefully swaying beneath a beam of the true essence of poetry; the naked, the raw, the soiled, the pureness of unfiltered emotion. "I still find sonnets in your half-smiles" sets the tone of an exquisitely soft tongue that leaves remnants of salty tears on the pages of poetry. In the spaces between the letters Hinnah Mian continuously blesses the reader with forgiveness. Between each ache, each suffering, each piercing bullet, each unforgivable act. Hinnah conveys the familiarity and the contrast between love and war, one existing after the other and the other before the one, yet simultaneously sharing the same space. A space to build a home.
July 20, 2018
To Build a Home is filled with poetry that will leave you speechless. The meaning behind each page, each verse is something so powerful that the reader can feel the pain and anguish the author felt. This book does not romanticize abusive relationships, but in fact depicts it as a life lesson. The author shares her stories so other individuals can read it and learn from it. This book means so much to me and I encourage everyone to give it a read! And so proud of the author for sharing these poems with the world and wish her the best with all future endeavors!
March 22, 2019
To Build a Home is a beautiful collection of poetry and prose. I love its simplicity that makes it accessible to all readers along with the elegant illustrations. Her words are raw and beautiful, making you think about how your own experiences connect to the stories on the page. I highly recommend it for all poetry fans!
July 20, 2018
I absolutely loved this book! She is a very talented poet and author, so great that while reading I could feel her emotions in each poem and prose, as raw and as real as if I were experiencing myself.
June 10, 2022
This is seriously one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read!
March 18, 2024
I am not in my skin
I've painted myself in you
I've locked myself in your ribcage
where my nimble hands
could never push through
I exist only in terms of you
To fall out of you would be to fall apart
So I dig deeper until I carry your heart
(I carry it in my heart)
utterly beautiful ✨💗
rating: 4.5 ★'s
I've painted myself in you
I've locked myself in your ribcage
where my nimble hands
could never push through
I exist only in terms of you
To fall out of you would be to fall apart
So I dig deeper until I carry your heart
(I carry it in my heart)
utterly beautiful ✨💗
rating: 4.5 ★'s
January 1, 2020
EDITORIAL REVIEWS:
“Breathtakingly honest. Hinnah’s powerful words shot straight through my chest and left me speechless. These are the words I wish I wrote. An incredible work I’ll be reading again and again.”
- Makenzie Campbell, author of 2am Thoughts
“What’s the best way I can put it? This book moved me. From the very first sentence, it moved me. To Build a Home is a mixture of poetry and prose. Hinnah Mian is equally adept with either form. With the skill of a true master, the collection delves into the meaning of family, the painfulness of love, and the courage of a strong, indomitable spirit.”
- Ray Simmons, Readers’ Favorite Reviews
“Hinnah has written an achingly, beautiful portrait of heartbreak. Her words hit me to the core and I was transported to what it feels like to be haunted by someone, to be left hollow by someone. This book accurately and smartly portrays the lessons and healing gained from the human experience with sorrow.”
- Raquel Franco, author of Keep Me Wild
“This piece of work left me speechless.There is so much beauty exhibited in the remnants of pain, I could feel every inch of the deep emotion reaching out to me throughout the book and grasping on tightly. It continues to show healing and hurt working sometimes in harmony and sometimes in complete contrast, showing the trueness of heartbreak and self-love in the aftermath. A truly thought-provoking, heart-rending and masterful piece of work. I cannot recommend it enough!”
- Shannon Ellis, author of Elements of an Adored Mind
“Breathtakingly honest. Hinnah’s powerful words shot straight through my chest and left me speechless. These are the words I wish I wrote. An incredible work I’ll be reading again and again.”
- Makenzie Campbell, author of 2am Thoughts
“What’s the best way I can put it? This book moved me. From the very first sentence, it moved me. To Build a Home is a mixture of poetry and prose. Hinnah Mian is equally adept with either form. With the skill of a true master, the collection delves into the meaning of family, the painfulness of love, and the courage of a strong, indomitable spirit.”
- Ray Simmons, Readers’ Favorite Reviews
“Hinnah has written an achingly, beautiful portrait of heartbreak. Her words hit me to the core and I was transported to what it feels like to be haunted by someone, to be left hollow by someone. This book accurately and smartly portrays the lessons and healing gained from the human experience with sorrow.”
- Raquel Franco, author of Keep Me Wild
“This piece of work left me speechless.There is so much beauty exhibited in the remnants of pain, I could feel every inch of the deep emotion reaching out to me throughout the book and grasping on tightly. It continues to show healing and hurt working sometimes in harmony and sometimes in complete contrast, showing the trueness of heartbreak and self-love in the aftermath. A truly thought-provoking, heart-rending and masterful piece of work. I cannot recommend it enough!”
- Shannon Ellis, author of Elements of an Adored Mind
March 17, 2019
A Book About Building Yourself
Enjoyed this book even though it made me cry at times to relive some painful experiences. However, this book is not about pain. It's about growing and learning from painful experiences. The writer has a great gift in choosing words that tells a story but also give inspiration. Highly recommended.
Enjoyed this book even though it made me cry at times to relive some painful experiences. However, this book is not about pain. It's about growing and learning from painful experiences. The writer has a great gift in choosing words that tells a story but also give inspiration. Highly recommended.
Read
June 7, 2018Absolutely beautiful debut poetry collection. Really admired how the poet experimented with a number of different styles and forms throughout the collection without it feeling forced or unnatural. It's amazing -- this story is so clearly Hinnah's, yet her words were able to connect to me and my own experiences at the same time.
"I often described the pain as a God-shaped hole." It most definitely was.
"I often described the pain as a God-shaped hole." It most definitely was.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews