What do you think?
Rate this book
Bittersweet
Reflections on a reconstructed homeland and Scarborough.
Bittersweet is an exciting, accomplished collection of poems evoking both a reconstructed homeland and Scarborough (Ontario). Using memory—intimate as well as collective—prompted by photographs, maps, language, and folklore, Ramoutar meditates on themes of obscured and suppressed history, time, and liminality. Her poems journey from home to home to home, from Toronto to Guyana to South Asia; and Scarborough remains omnipresent, with a mix of identities and a strong, active, and boisterous youthful presence.
Bittersweet is an exciting, accomplished collection of poems evoking both a reconstructed homeland and Scarborough (Ontario). Using memory—intimate as well as collective—prompted by photographs, maps, language, and folklore, Ramoutar meditates on themes of obscured and suppressed history, time, and liminality. Her poems journey from home to home to home, from Toronto to Guyana to South Asia; and Scarborough remains omnipresent, with a mix of identities and a strong, active, and boisterous youthful presence.
88 pages, Paperback
First published September 22, 2020
140 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 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 17, 2021
Beautiful poetry!
October 26, 2020
Natasha Ramoutar's debut of poems, Bittersweet, takes us far and near, to Scarborough, Guyana, South Asia, and elsewhere, as we travel closer and closer to the acutely felt solitude that centres this searching, poignant collection.
At the heart of this collection, perhaps, is a question that leads the final poem: How do you unravel a history of trauma, that which is woven within you? And, perhaps, at the heart of it, too, is the answer it seeks: This remembering of cultural memories through the act of poetry-writing (a form of testimony, I argue) that aids in uncovering the self. Animated by this restless inner questioning, the poems meditate on the bittersweetness of the diaspora, longing for a homeland and ancestral inheritance; forces that moor the self and set it in motion, from shared memories to the forgotten lanes of history, to estranging locations and departures. Ramoutar's elegeic testimony is a voice that rises out to speak for the silenced, those exiled, removed from ancestry, from history, from self. Voices that I believe are refracted from Ramoutar's own personal life. This refraction allows for a multifaceted understanding of the poem. It is, in Ramoutar, both a narrative of removal from and return to Home, if only fleeting, if only in a dream-sleep. Strength and resilience remains the pervasive themes throughout the collection as she explores this disconnect or feeling of not belonging to a home culture.
I do not have that much knowledge of poetry to furnish a comprehensive review, but I will say that Ramoutar's words are stirring and immediate, echoing days after each reading. Ultimately, the collection, Bittersweet, is highly enjoyable and satisfying.
Thank you Mawenzi House Press for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
At the heart of this collection, perhaps, is a question that leads the final poem: How do you unravel a history of trauma, that which is woven within you? And, perhaps, at the heart of it, too, is the answer it seeks: This remembering of cultural memories through the act of poetry-writing (a form of testimony, I argue) that aids in uncovering the self. Animated by this restless inner questioning, the poems meditate on the bittersweetness of the diaspora, longing for a homeland and ancestral inheritance; forces that moor the self and set it in motion, from shared memories to the forgotten lanes of history, to estranging locations and departures. Ramoutar's elegeic testimony is a voice that rises out to speak for the silenced, those exiled, removed from ancestry, from history, from self. Voices that I believe are refracted from Ramoutar's own personal life. This refraction allows for a multifaceted understanding of the poem. It is, in Ramoutar, both a narrative of removal from and return to Home, if only fleeting, if only in a dream-sleep. Strength and resilience remains the pervasive themes throughout the collection as she explores this disconnect or feeling of not belonging to a home culture.
I do not have that much knowledge of poetry to furnish a comprehensive review, but I will say that Ramoutar's words are stirring and immediate, echoing days after each reading. Ultimately, the collection, Bittersweet, is highly enjoyable and satisfying.
Thank you Mawenzi House Press for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
January 11, 2022
like the author, i, too, am of Guyanese descent by way of Scarborough so i felt seen reading this. it was so good i really liked this collection of poems.
November 5, 2020
These poems resonated with me on a personal level as they explored self, home, homeland, knowing, belonging, and remembering. Us Diaspora Babies, We Do Not Sleep: spoke on our history that we were forever removed from, and even though we know of and retain aspects of that history in the way we speak, dance, cook, tell stories, there will always be that yearning to truly know the land from which our ancestors were stolen, tricked into leaving.
It was especially poignant when one line from certain poems held such a depth of meaning and the reader could just run over that line again and again, ruminating on the memories and realities that are contained within. Truly a collection of poems that traces history, family, and heritage for us and those who came before.
It was especially poignant when one line from certain poems held such a depth of meaning and the reader could just run over that line again and again, ruminating on the memories and realities that are contained within. Truly a collection of poems that traces history, family, and heritage for us and those who came before.
December 12, 2020
My first five star review on this website that is not for my own book
August 11, 2024
The poems about her grandparents are touching, especially those centered on her grandmother. There’s something powerful about capturing the sacrifices of the women in your family, esp as a diaspora baby, knowing all that our mothers and grandmothers have endured to create you, to bring you here and raise you in your entirety. It's profoundly moving to see that love reflected back through the generations. Diaspora daughters understand this deeply. The changes that take place over generations are as vast as the distance between the Caribbean and South Asia and are bonded through threads of love and sacrifice.
This theme of generational and cultural shift tho is something Toronto poets excel at capturing. I love how Natasha Ramoutar, like many Toronto poets, becomes a cartographer of these experiences, mapping out the intricate layers of life, identity and history in this diverse city. There’s a special quality to how poets from Toronto depict our unique blend of communities, cultures, and stories that make up the city. David Chariandy’s influence is evident here, and it’s vital that his approach to exploring his own upbringing continues to inspire and nurture the next generation of writers and poets in this city. Soucouyant is on my reading list thanks to Donna Bailey Nurse.
I’m going to buy this book for my homegirl; I borrowed this from the Toronto Public Library during National Poetry Month at random and I love the exposure that the TPL is invested in sharing.
Faves: On Reading, Ink, Us Diaspora Babies, We Do Not Sleep, East, Meadowvale, 198, Brimley: All the Way South, Like Makeshift Crowns, Famous Players, Tandem, Melting Pot
This theme of generational and cultural shift tho is something Toronto poets excel at capturing. I love how Natasha Ramoutar, like many Toronto poets, becomes a cartographer of these experiences, mapping out the intricate layers of life, identity and history in this diverse city. There’s a special quality to how poets from Toronto depict our unique blend of communities, cultures, and stories that make up the city. David Chariandy’s influence is evident here, and it’s vital that his approach to exploring his own upbringing continues to inspire and nurture the next generation of writers and poets in this city. Soucouyant is on my reading list thanks to Donna Bailey Nurse.
I’m going to buy this book for my homegirl; I borrowed this from the Toronto Public Library during National Poetry Month at random and I love the exposure that the TPL is invested in sharing.
Faves: On Reading, Ink, Us Diaspora Babies, We Do Not Sleep, East, Meadowvale, 198, Brimley: All the Way South, Like Makeshift Crowns, Famous Players, Tandem, Melting Pot
September 7, 2023
“What of us diaspora babies,
us diaspora daughters,
exiled before birth?”
Natasha Ramoutar’s BITTERSWEET is a poetry collection that explores what it means to be a daughter of diaspora. It captures feelings of longing for home and not belonging; of lost ancestral connections; and of wondering about inheritance and family history. It explores time and intergenerational trauma, joy and identity. Many poems ask questions about West Indian history, while others focus on the author’s childhood in Scarborough.
Ramoutar’s background is similar to my own—Indo-Guyanese heritage but raised in or near Toronto. The way Ramoutar explores identity and grief resonates with me and mirrors a lot of my own experiences and feelings. In these poems, she is searching for answers and connections to her ancestors in ways I and many other West Indians do. As I read more books by West Indian authors this is always the connecting thread—we share in our grief and quest for answers. In other books this grief often manifests as anger and pain, and while those emotions appear in these poems, there is also grace. This collection carries a softness that is often missing from West Indian culture; a softness that was not afforded to our parents or indentured ancestors, but a softness that I’ve always had within myself. It’s special to feel seen like this. And to offer this grace to our ancestors while also recognizing the pain feels groundbreaking. This book has deeply impacted me and I’m so excited to read more from Natasha Ramoutar.
Rating: 4.5/5
us diaspora daughters,
exiled before birth?”
Natasha Ramoutar’s BITTERSWEET is a poetry collection that explores what it means to be a daughter of diaspora. It captures feelings of longing for home and not belonging; of lost ancestral connections; and of wondering about inheritance and family history. It explores time and intergenerational trauma, joy and identity. Many poems ask questions about West Indian history, while others focus on the author’s childhood in Scarborough.
Ramoutar’s background is similar to my own—Indo-Guyanese heritage but raised in or near Toronto. The way Ramoutar explores identity and grief resonates with me and mirrors a lot of my own experiences and feelings. In these poems, she is searching for answers and connections to her ancestors in ways I and many other West Indians do. As I read more books by West Indian authors this is always the connecting thread—we share in our grief and quest for answers. In other books this grief often manifests as anger and pain, and while those emotions appear in these poems, there is also grace. This collection carries a softness that is often missing from West Indian culture; a softness that was not afforded to our parents or indentured ancestors, but a softness that I’ve always had within myself. It’s special to feel seen like this. And to offer this grace to our ancestors while also recognizing the pain feels groundbreaking. This book has deeply impacted me and I’m so excited to read more from Natasha Ramoutar.
Rating: 4.5/5
September 29, 2020
4/5 stars
Thank you to Mawenzi House for providing me with a digital review copy!
Bittersweet is a newly released poetry collection by Natasha Ramoutar, an Indo-Guyanese writer from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Her poetry weaves through her various homes from Guyana to Scarborough, detailing the complexities that can arise when thinking about the concept of home.
What I enjoyed the most about Ramoutar’s poetry was the way she was able to evoke a sense of belonging and not belonging. How do you honour your culture and identity once you step into your homeland for the first time? How do you unravel a history of trauma that surrounds not only those who came before you, but yourself as well? Does where you live bear the same weight in your identity as your home as much as other homelands?
These questions and more came to mind as I read these incredibly thought provoking poems. Ramoutar has a gift for vivid imagery — I felt transported to exact snippets and moments in time. My favourite poem from this collection was “Ink” because I liked the juxtaposition between what one says and what one actually means. Bittersweet is a stunningly beautiful (both in and out, I mean, look at that gorgeous cover) testament to homes — wherever that may be and whatever that may mean to you.
Thank you to Mawenzi House for providing me with a digital review copy!
Bittersweet is a newly released poetry collection by Natasha Ramoutar, an Indo-Guyanese writer from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Her poetry weaves through her various homes from Guyana to Scarborough, detailing the complexities that can arise when thinking about the concept of home.
What I enjoyed the most about Ramoutar’s poetry was the way she was able to evoke a sense of belonging and not belonging. How do you honour your culture and identity once you step into your homeland for the first time? How do you unravel a history of trauma that surrounds not only those who came before you, but yourself as well? Does where you live bear the same weight in your identity as your home as much as other homelands?
These questions and more came to mind as I read these incredibly thought provoking poems. Ramoutar has a gift for vivid imagery — I felt transported to exact snippets and moments in time. My favourite poem from this collection was “Ink” because I liked the juxtaposition between what one says and what one actually means. Bittersweet is a stunningly beautiful (both in and out, I mean, look at that gorgeous cover) testament to homes — wherever that may be and whatever that may mean to you.
March 15, 2024
I love the detail that Ramoutar placed in bringing Scarborough to life. As someone who also loves her mid sized Southern Ontario city I can relate. It was so special to see our Canadian spelling from: 'travellers', 'honour', to 'centre' I was beaming.
She brings to life the history and wounds of her Guyanese family with blistering reality. I am excited to see her career as her writing matures and deepens with time.
She brings to life the history and wounds of her Guyanese family with blistering reality. I am excited to see her career as her writing matures and deepens with time.
November 18, 2020
Bittersweet is a collection of poems by fellow Scarborough writer, Natasha Ramoutar. The title perfectly captures the experience of reading her words. Each poem simultaneously lulls you into the comforts of home, the love of family while ruining you with stories of diasporic disconnection and lost language.
March 13, 2021
Natasha Ramoutar's collection of culturally rich poetry captures resilience beautifully. The collection traces the cultural and ancestral histories surrounding her homeland,
yet she feels disconnected from it at the same time. The book also focuses on the suppressed
trauma and history. My favourite poem was “Makeshift Crowns”.
yet she feels disconnected from it at the same time. The book also focuses on the suppressed
trauma and history. My favourite poem was “Makeshift Crowns”.
December 31, 2021
This is a beautiful collection of poems. Natasha Ramoutar creates and reflects moments and worlds in gorgeous detail. The collection depicts joy and beauty and offers readers poems that perfectly capture family histories, friendships, big systems, and intimate reflections. My favourite poems are Kaiteur and Brimley, All The Way South but each one is spectacular!
November 6, 2020
I really enjoyed this collection from a local to me (Ontario) author. I was able to connect with many of the poems and will be keeping this close at hand to read and again. Can't wait to see more from this author!
November 2, 2020
Beautiful diasporic poetry from a talented new voice.
November 15, 2021
A wonderful collection of poems.
June 11, 2022
A nice collection of poems.
May 23, 2023
Beautifully done, all around. Some pages had me choked up, while others made me giggle. Very relatable & thoroughly enjoyed!
December 28, 2023
Bars on bars on bars, had me saying ‘oh ma god’ every other page!!!! <3
March 8, 2024
4.5* <3
April 5, 2024
I don’t really read poetry often, but by some coincidence I ended up reading Natasha Ramoutar’s aptly named volume of poetry. It’s sensuous and evocative, and many poems carry a sense of unease and ambiguity. It’s also all very Toronto. For a young author, or honestly a poet of any age, this book is a remarkable achievement.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews