The Apricot Memoirs

by Tess Guinery

This romantic fusion of art—poetry, prose, and unbridled creativity—was birthed from one soul’s season of adventure and unraveling, inviting us to surrender the great for the greater.

What started as a break from Australian artist Tess Guinery’s rapidly growing design business turned into an instinctive, playful experiment with words, colors, and sounds—and eventually into a tangible book, The Apricot Memoirs .

This collection of poetry and prose, thoughtfully illustrated and printed on colored paper, is infused with grace and playfulness. It explores love, personal growth, creativity, spirituality, vulnerability, and motherhood in the art medium of words, all the while creating a rich portrait of a deeply empathetic, talented, and whimsical artist. Esoteric, mysterious, and unfailingly beautiful, The Apricot Memoirs is an invitation to dig deep, embrace the uncomfortable, and free your creativity, unbound.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 13, 2021

About the author

Tess Guinery is a dancer by upbringing, a designer by trade, and an artist by calling. After graduating from the Karl Von Busse Institute of Design in Australia, she soon established herself as a sought-after creator, but with design work bursting at the seams, Tess intuitively pressed pause prompted to take a sabbatical to explore her inner artist, to express, and ultimately to create unbound—which led her to the making of her tangible art piece, The Apricot Memoirs. These days, Tess calls the wholesome town of Murwillumbah home with her stuntman husband and their three spirited daughters. Her art is in the everyday.

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both the spiritual nature of most of the pieces and their really brief length makes this seem more like a book of biblical proverbs than a book of poems (or even psalms). For example, most of the pieces are as short as this one:

"I picture prayers to be much like wind:
words carried by breaths, circling and
giving momentum to sounds of hope."

Some of the book is straightforward life or spiritual advice with extra line breaks:

"All
unmasking
intimacy
I have ever come to know
has grown
from communion -

Just talk."

But some is quite pretty:

"I'm reading books like I'm alive at
midnight, sipping ruby-flavored whiskey -
sweetly wild, fiercely frolicsome -

Moonlight oil."

I can't separate my overall feelings on this book from the length of the poems. They are so short and there are so many of them that they sort of wash over you. The few longer pieces really jolted me in surprise when I turned the page because they were such a change. Maybe more of those would have made each poem more memorable and increased the power of each of the proverbs.

**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

" You'll never actually know what people think of you - assume it's lovely. "

[Brittany Viklund · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not every word or poem spoke to me or resonated with me (specifically the more religious sentiments) I still found many pages to give me food for thought & lovely little nuggets of wisdom & guidance.

[Shaazi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetry in snippets on apricot paper. The book looked stylish and had some nice words but not something I would lug around in my handbag to read over and over- like I do with other books that became friends.

[Jewel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was sitting on my bookshelf, untouched, for two years. I am trying to read more poetry. I did dog-ear some pages, and at a surface level, I enjoy the sentiment of being a carefree, barefoot bohemian person. However, I found the Apricot Memoirs to be vague, sing-songingly bland, and at times, pretentious. I can appreciate poetry for poetry's sake, and again there were some gems in here, but a ton of this felt like Guinery had published a hundred of her own Instagram captions.

[Maddie Grace Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

magic and intimate!! I never wanted it to end

[Amber Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This woman! Her words are warm and down to earth and from the heart.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poetry really is a "tangible piece of art." Tess Guinery has an incredible way with words to portray a vast range of emotion. There are numerous quotable lines - one liners that harness motivation and empowerment along with longer stanzas that provoke deep thinking and feelings. The book is a beautiful color and the presence of the rainbow offers a sense of hope and renewal. It becomes a beacon of positivity throughout. The words written within is deep, soulful, and inspiring. It reminded me of John Keats, William Wordsworth, and other poets of the Romanticism era. I cannot wait to see this book published in print on April 13th, 2021. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[Grayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s ok

[Michelé · Rating 1 out of 5]

This collection felt very Gabbie Hanna (adultolescence) and instagram poetry in the worst way possible. To even call most of these poems is a stretch when there are sometimes 5 words to the whole thing. It had a journal, first draft feel. Like a self-help book or advice column but make it Christian. That element was a surprise (as I’m seeing it was to other reviewers) and I felt a little tricked? I’m not anti-religious writing, I actually have a deep faith myself, but this book’s Christianity was somehow off-putting. It felt entirely too prescriptive, just do this, pray this, in a way that would be a. Inaccessible to those not of a similar background and b. Felt unaccepting of a suggestion of faith dissimilar to her own. Not that this was ever stated explicitly, but it was the tone given off.

I read in her bio that she is a designer by trade and just took a year off to explore her artistic whims. That makes sense to me because this feels amateur, unedited. There’s a reason most author’s first works are not the one’s they publish. Passion is important but so are the lessons you learn from hours and hours spent dedicated to learning the craft. I would have dnf’d it if it hadn’t read so fast (again because most pages were one line).

The entire collection felt like an ideal vision of the world. There isn’t always a grander sense of beauty, like the sun being a “golden circle.” It felt contrived with a forced sense of poeticism.

Also a forced sense of importance. There were so many ordinary realizations made out to be groundbreaking discoveries, which gave the whole thing a sense that the author thought she was better than you because she could teach you these things. She also places value on things as if that opinion is shared by everyone. Example, gray and beige = bad, as if either of those colors is inherently negative. And rainbow is good (let’s not even touch how cliche that is). There is also a “poem” that says not to define yourself by trends but instead by your true “essence.” There’s an implication here that people (girls?) should feel bad for liking and participating in things which are popular. A very sneaky sort of judgement.

On a structural level there was a lack of cohesion or through-line. Most poetry collections build on themselves but this did not, partly because there was hardly enough substance to build on, my having barely started a poem before it was over, and partly because it was random. There are revisited ideas like motherhood, faith, and color, but they don’t come together in a greater way than each piece individually. And yet, it’s still somehow true that the collection was very repetitive. There was a structure used for at least half the poems where the first line would make some observation, there’d be a dash, and then the last line would define the poem for you. This structure itself is weak, to use it likely 50+ times is a mistake.

Examples:
(Note that these are the entire poems)

“If its not a poem, quiet thy words—
a rebuttal to gossip” p.20

“Choose to be a conversationalist—
Intimacy.” p.27

“If you can celebrate it, celebrate it!—
Hymn.” p.31

I will say, I liked the poem on p.144 and there were some instances of pleasant rhyming.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

[Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of beautifully written short prose pieces mixed with longer poems create a unique look into motherhood and creating. I wasn't expecting the underlying spiritual and religious undertones.
They give small moments, snippets of different life experiences. And the small illustrations dotted throughout the collection were a great addition.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[♡ Dakota ♡ (Sarcasm is my middle name) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three Stars. I say if you like poetry then give it a try.

[Liz Whalen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this little book of poems. Its a precious collection of wisdom.

Great to read at night if your anxious, or read on a park bench with the sun on your face. It lifts the heart ♥️

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet and warm collection of poetry that speaks to that place inside of you that longs for warmth and home.  I enjoyed the way the author mixed poetry and prose to convey bits and pieces of the larger picture.  This collection made me feel cozy while reading it, and spoke to the parts inside me that are focused on motherhood and family.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Apricot Memoirs by Tess Guinery is a collection of poetry interspersed with graphics. The poems were beautifully and lyrically written. I was able to connect with some of the poems which made them more memorable for me, though I enjoyed reading through all of them. There was a lot of underlying spirituality and religious references that I did not anticipate when I began reading. This collection of poetry and prose would be a wonderful read for someone looking for affirming and uplifting words.

[C.H. Bril · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretentious and badly written. Christian propaganda dressed up with cutesy graphics.

[Jennifer Juni · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautiful... in both words and pages.

[Emily Suchanek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I beautiful little book of prose. Filled with affirming words to comfort and feed the creative's soul. There were so many poems that resonated with my soul.

[Tal · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Let your heart feel risk; keep it wild”

There is a certain tranquility that came from reading these poems. They are soft and sweeping, and full of life.

Even though I personally didn’t have a strong connection to some of these poems, like the religious themes or motherhood qualities, I still found them to be inspiring and fluid nonetheless. On that same note, the other poems about love, womanhood, self, creativity, etc are all SO poignant. She does a great job of keeping her poems short, but so meaningful! I really enjoyed them and bookmarked many to reference later.

The book itself is also beautiful. The colors and design are lovely. I highly recommend this for those who want a quick read that also resonates within.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guinery writes the way we all wish we could - honest, poetic words that come to you that you wish you could pen lyrically. With passion and personality. The clear intention in her words shows a direct purpose behind the beautiful imagery. Motherhood, love and connection with a higher being - so much of this book can be related to and learnt from. Not a ‘read once and pop away’ kind of book, I imagine I will revisit these memoirs again and again when in search of some simple, tangible words.

[Summer Pieters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was kind of wrong and kind of right about my earlier critique!

I decided that this book has to be read when you are having a good day. If you read this book when you are bored or annoyed or bummed- it seems too flowery and cringey. I read it today in the sunshine on my porch and it felt uplifting and genuine and encouraging. (Still girlboss-coded but thats okay)

One other critique- this author self published this book originally (go off girl), but this book really needed an editor or someone to help guide the poetry in an order that gave the author a clearer voice. I think thats also why my first impression was bad.

Overall: would recommend to gals as a vacation/beach read or if you are in celebration mode. Don’t read on a snow day in the middle of February.

[Ebony Perno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful beautiful beautiful words written by a beautiful Woman with a heart of pure gold.

[Erica Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly a bit disappointed with The Apricot Memoirs. Didn’t get quite the same depth and clarity with this poetry collection as compared to The Moonflower Monologues. Still enjoyable though…!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You'll never know what people truly think you of - assume it's lovely."

"When the hearts reluctant, stop and ask it why."

This book is a somewhat random series of poems about self love, religion, and being a mother. While there were quite a few poems that just didn't speak to me, mainly the more religious ones, there were a few that felt really moving in their simplicity - the ones I most enjoyed were short, to the point - almost obvious, and about trusting, listening to, and learning about yourself.

One of my favourite things about this collection as a whole is the authors preface and postface about it's composition - that the words are bits and pieces, spontaneous, excerpts, partial moments - and that she hopes one day to build words around them. This lends a sort of beauty and perhaps order to the chaos, and a certain relatable vulnerability to the author.

Overall this was a quick and easy read. I think it would be a great gift for a young new mother (especially if they are religious).

[Kayla - the.bookish.mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read! The poetry varies in style and length - some may be a sentence or two, a paragraph, or longer and divided into stanzas. The topics vary but the central theme of this collection is about being who you are meant to be and growth. Considering these were written while the author was on a sabbatical, and exploring her motherhood, it makes sense for the collection to reflect these ideas. My favorite poems delved deeper into ideas on being a woman and a mother, and they pulled my heart strings. Some of the one-liners didn’t impact me as much, but were still positive to read.

Additionally, some of the poems do relate to the author’s belief in God, and have a spiritual (Christian) component. It’s not done in a “preachy” type of way, and is more about her expressing her relationship with who she sees as her Creator.

I think this is a collection that is easy to pick up from time to time, open randomly, and find some words to stir your soul, or even possibly some encouragement.

The aesthetic of the book is also pleasurable. The pages are thick and feel weighty in the hand. The text is a corresponding shade to the peachy-pink colored pages which brought an extra warmth. I also enjoyed the assortment of illustrations and “doodles” throughout the book.

I was given a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and options are my own.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a distinct memory of the first time I flipped through The Apricot Memoirs. I was wandering the Frankfurt Book Fair when I happened upon the Andrews McMeel booth. I tend to enjoy the poetry they publish, and I chose to look at some of the titles I was not yet familiar with. This book stood out, both due to its lovely design and its romantic title. I must have read a small handful of poems, and I remember really enioying them.

You cannot imagine my disappointment when I finally bought the book the other week. One of two major issues I see is the language. The author seems to be so focused on using pretty words that she loses all sense of relaying a message. You can only use so many different metaphors in one poem before it becomes entirely incohesive and nonsensical, and Tess Guinery certainly crosses that line.

But not only are very few of the poems actually well written -- some of them made me feel rather uncomfortable. Guinery's way of presenting certain topics, primarily religion and motherhood, give me the ick. I am so glad for her that she can enjoy a life centred around faith and family, and I am all for people romanticising their own everyday. However, the absolute conviction with which this author presentes these choices as the one and only way to a happy and fulfilled life leaves me feeling uneasy. Another aspect that I feel is quite harmful is her perception of stress. Her idea is to just rid oneself of any kind of stress or pressure that exists in ones life. It baffles me that this is advice one comes across fairly often. It evades me how people are able to believe that stress can just be eschewed. For Guinery, the solution seems to have been quitting her job, having a child, and focusing on the family she created. It should not be hard to grasp that this is not an option for everyone, and that stress is an inevitable part of many people's struggle to survive and not a conscious choice one can just unmake at will. Finding your own way in life and romanticising your journey is amazing, but it is necessary to recognise that not everyone has the luxury of making the same changes and choices.

Ultimately, art is still art, and poetry is still poetry -- almost entirely subjective. Some of it resonates with me, and some of it does not. There are certainly some very lovely poems to be found in The Apricot Memoirs, but overall, this collection is not for me, and I will make sure to avoid this author's work in the future.

[Soft Sappho · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insipid, vaguely religious nonsense. Everything is extremely literal and the author makes very little use of imagery. She doggedly avoids meaning making at every turn. I rarely agree with the criticism that a sentence with line breaks is not a poem, but in this case I do. The poems are all “free verse” but clearly have no thought behind the line breaks, stanzas, or verbiage. I’ve read many great free verse poems written with intent and these are not that. I honestly do not understand how this got published. Every “poem” reads like a rough draft at best, but most seem like the half thoughts one jots down to come back to later for inspiration.

I got sucked in by the pretty cover art and pink pages. It’s such a bummer when books like this reinforce the stereotype that pretty things are inherently vapid.

Some of my favorite (worst) “poems”:

Pg. 4

“I took my hair out of its confined topknot / and harsh-hustle demeanor and tied the / ends to the corners of the stars.”

That’s it. That’s the whole poem. This sounds like a passing thought I’d jot down in my notes app half asleep and delete in the morning out of embarrassment.

Pg. 53

“Here’s to facing fears—again. Doing it / with style, keeping it casual while I sit mid- / flight, enjoying a calming cider, laughing / anxiously through the turbulence— / Overcoming.”

This is literally just… a description of flight anxiety? But in the most boring least meaningful way. I was nervous on the plane. I got drunk. I’m still anxious. Right, okay.

Anyway this book gives me plenty of hope that I could become a published poet if this is the standard modern poets are held to.

Also for gods sake mark your genres more clearly. I had no interest in picking up christian literature and masquerading religious texts as something they’re not is just disappointing for everyone.

[Jordann Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of poems you carry close to your heart. The things a wise heart may whisper to a younger one at just the right time. Apricot memoirs is the right balance of relatable, truth and wild flowers. One of my all time favourite poems and one that made me feel so known was this- "When I say I need time alone, what I really mean is;

I want to move all the furniture around and then move it all back. I want to paint something and leave the brushes to bristle because I decided to go wash my hair. I’ll forget to take my multi-v’s because I was busy trying on dresses and suddenly I’ll move every plant to the tiles in the sunroom just to water them. The plants will make like a jungle at the front door because there was that book I once read that explained the cycle of butterflies. I’ll scavenge to find it and in my hunt I’ll find old photos and sleep in nostalgia for what feels like ten minutes and suddenly it’s dusk. Dinner will be the last thing on my mind and I’ll likely throw a handful of vegetables into some batter and in amongst the kitchen mess I’ll pour some spanish wine and close my eyes at the same time. I’ll light some candles, open all the windows, change the sheets and fall asleep early because nothing excites me more. When I say I need time alone, this is really what I mean."

[Visnupriyah Hedemark · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a child I spent my early years visiting my grandmother in Lisbon. I remember walking with her through the cobblestone streets holding her hand, not knowing where we were going, just happy to be in her company and when we'd return to her little apartment that had the most beautiful rose garden at its entrance, she would stop and speak lovingly to those blossoms, coaxing them to continue their dance and bloom once more the next day. At the end of each or these magical days, my grandmother would often let me go through her jewellery box, each little treasure more beautiful than the next, telling me a little of the life they lived and how she came to have them. Reading Tess Guinery's The Apricot Memoirs is like walking those cobblestone streets, taking you down a path you find familiar and at the same time unknown. Each prose a beautiful heirloom more beautiful than the next, seemingly simple and graceful, but full of a life lived humbly. It is a simple pleasure to be in its company, to find yourself bearing witness to the Tess' world, and just like my Grandmother did with her Rose Garden, The Apricot Memoirs inspire you to speak more gently, live your life with grace, and take notice to what light does to everything.