The Moonflower Monologues

by Tess Guinery

Just as the moonflower dares to stand and blossom, growing bright and free in the shadows of the night, may these gentle pages inspire you to bloom, bursting with poetry, in the most unexpected of moments.

From celebrated Australian artist Tess Guinery comes The Moonflower Monologues , her second book of beautifully designed poetry and prose. This collection is many an exploration of strength and femininity, an invitation to let things go wrong, a reminder that growth comes in many forms, and an acknowledgment that “some things can’t be written in sugar, only salt.” Some of the writings are extravagant, some are sparse, but all are infused with Guinery’s introspection, stillness, and kindness.
 

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published January 4, 2022

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

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels like this collection has been written only for me.

Once I started reading the first few lines of the first page, I realised the book would mean more than I expected.

I just love the colourful pages and the subtle illustrations. It's so beautiful!

The writing:

It's empowering.

It's personal.

It's like your soulmate you have been searching for.

For readers of Rupi Kaur, this collection is a must read!

Another favourite!

Thank you, author and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

[Dana Cristiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would love to thank Andrews McMeel Publishing, Tess Guinery and NetGalley fot this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed most of the poems in here. The author talks about growth, the Moon and femininity.
Here are some of them:

Love needs no crowns,
neither mentions nor accolades.
And most of the time, you’ll find
that love—

Love is brave.

They say there’s no such thing as “the one”—
but there is only one you.

A walk where summits are invitations for glorious reflections and
brave shouts of testimony—honoring all that has been. Be sure to stop,
drink, and make an occasion of it—with your words, your stories, the
clinking of vessels, and songs. Breathe in the clean, loving air, and ex-
hale—large and long. Gather all your creative fire and let light burn in
your hands.

May your yes be yes
and your no be no,
from the ends of your braids,
to the tips of your toes—

Nobility.

I speak of the moon (much):
how she glows,
her phases,
her beauty,
the way she lights up the darkness,
her talent for reflection.

She’s a night-chaser,
heart-racer,
moving the ocean tides,
sending me half-crescent smiles,
enticing my waning heart to rise.

But it’s not her who takes my breath away; it’s the hands that fashioned
her so. I like to think that she was placed there just for me, all so she
would reflect something tangible about my maker. . . .

And there are so many more in this collection, so be sure to check it out.
4.25 stars for this gorgeous collection!

[Elliana Jenness · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most uplifting, imagery rich, artistic, poetry, filled with themes of chasing creativity, living fully in nature, motherhood, marriage…I want everything in this book to come to life and I will claim it as my own. ❤️

[Erica Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this collection of Christian poems made me feel so safe and so at home. It felt like waking up to a sleepy sunlit afternoon. Like steaming the tips of my lashes with a cup of hot genmaicha. Like sitting out on the back porch after a bout of drizzles and breathing in the freshly turned soil. The world is so quiet. Like staying up to watch the moon while everyone else but you is fast asleep. Like the pause after a good, hard cry. Like being hugged tight. Like being told you’re loved. Like laying down your head on a soft pillow and listening to the sounds of midnight traffic pouring in through an open window.

The Moonflower Monologues was simple but imperceptibly homely. So much gentleness and gratitude toward the beauty of flowers, slow mornings, prayer, friendship and motherhood, toward courage, forgiveness, and hope. What a perfect read in the time of spring, when things are beginning anew.

[Dessie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. "The Moonflower Monologues" by Tess Guinery is a sugar-coated book focusing on topics such as faith, love, wisdom, friendship, etc. The writing style is rather repetitive and lacks individuality, also too sweet for me, I prefer more realistic and raw poems and these surely were not for me. The pieces in this books can be generally separated into three categories: 5-word sentences, almost-poems and just big paragraphs of text. It reminded me of Rupi Kaur's works, just more over-sentimental. Although there are a few main topics, I was left with the impression that a certain amount of poems/sentences/paragraphs were randomly put together in a book, absolutely no structure. The content also is quite religious and a reader cannot tell by the synopsis that such topics will be discussed, so I felt pretty uncomfortable. Such information has to be included one way or another, or readers will be simply mislead into buying and reading this book.

[Josie Bivens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to these because they are beautiful and in 2020 I wanted to read something simple and hopeful, and Tess Guinery delivered. I preferred The Moonflower Monologues to The Apricot Memoirs. Same concept of easy to digest, uplifting poetry but this one had a little more depth in my opinion.

[Nina · Rating 1 out of 5]

the imagery in this is so intense and visceral. but it’s in the sense that i can see and feel my 2017 self seeing one of these ‘poems’ as a tumblr post reblogged onto pinterest, and i pin it to my board and i think it’s the peak of poetry. it is in fact not the peak of poetry, but the most dogshit attempt at being insightful and understanding the human condition.

rupi kaur and her repercussions on contemporary poetry. so often it feels as though writers group together unrelated adjectives and nouns (e.g. “her words - violet milk, her lining - honey silk) into an incoherent 3 line stanza in an attempt to come off as artistic and ‘aesthetic’. i see this notion come up within the poetry of dakota warren as well, where she uses certain buzzwords to fit within the confines of a certain aesthetic - as to appeal to a certain demographic.

it’s not that i was expecting to love this, i’m just disappointed in what poetry has dissolved to.

[Brittany Viklund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like The Apricot Memoirs, lots of little nuggets for wisdom & words to chew on. Whimsy & magical.

[Andrea Pole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Moonflower Monologues by Tess Guinery will take you on a journey of discovery, and you will be carried along by a melodious flow of consciousness that will prompt a personal blooming of the mind and soul. I was immediately swept up in this beautiful collection of verses, each of varying length, yet beautifully strung together through flowers, like a chain of daisies dancing on the wind.

I look forward to reading more of Ms Guinery's inspirational work. Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an ARC.

[Kate Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to be friends with Tess Guinery. Her words are are simple yet complex, strong yet calm, stunning, passionate, sincere, and vivid. My word of the year (and forever) is flourish and this book gives the most beautiful floral imagery to accompany it. I want to frame every poem!!! Thankful to finish this book and feel greatly inspired-will be reading again and again and again!

& to make this book even better, I used my hotdog bookmark and felt a whole lot of joy every time I opened it up. 5 star recommend a hot dog bookmark.

[Roxanne Finniss · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a couple of days to read it, which is fantastic because I don’t like to dwell on a book too long. This book was definitely better than the first of this series, in my honest opinion. I enjoyed the poems about God a little more, even though I am no longer religious. This book just flowed better in my opinion. Definite buy for if you want to make your bookshelf look pretty all while filling you head with words of light and dark and blooming.

[Ray 🌿 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of the book says to read it slowly and savor it. But once I started I couldn’t set it down.

The message(s) were so sweet and uplifting to my soul. My bones feel picked up (held up) (lighter). I think the rest of my day might very well be wonderful because I started it with encouragement and perspective.

I wonder if this book has been on my shelf 7 years for this very day.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister gave me this book to read during a long and scary hospital admission. I was alone as c19 meant no visitors allowed. This book with its honey pages and elixir of words comforted and inspired me through the darkness. Often I could barely read but somehow the lines swam through my semi conscious haze and touched my soul. This is a beautiful book to give someone who could do with some light and gentle kindness.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy to read and some poems were truely beautiful

[Hailey Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite collections of poetry.

[Kristin Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[RJF · Rating 5 out of 5]

delightful tidbits of poetry to decorate your days.
just like the perfect bite of dessert, not too sweet but just decadent enough to satisfy.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me a flood of an emotion! I fell in love with the aesthetical pages let alone the book itself. No other poetry books decribes me the way this book does. If that makes sense! The feeling was immense and phenomenal and breathtakingly beautiful ! I cannot fathom how much it brings me warmth and joy and fullness inside. Tess basically wrote the book for me, it was rich and incomprehensible... portraying my views and opinions like no books can and most of all, it was easy to read and leaving me undone with thoughts overflowing. Probably going to reread it a thousands times over!!

[cow boy · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC GIVEN BY NETGALLEY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

There are a few poems that expand over half of the page, that’s when the writing is at its most enjoyable.
There is a lot of potential. Also, the drawings are cute.

This falls into the trap of ‘insta poetry’, they’re just 2-10 word sentences, sometimes with a line break. I wish she had expanded and put more time into giving the four word sentences more life. It felt shallow and done multiple times before. Most of it felt like an instagram caption or a tweet. I would feel like I had been stolen from if I had bought this, with all the free space that was left on the pages.

[Skie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whimsy dreamy romance, comfort and warmth. Like a good song. Like a good wine. Like floating on your back in the sea or staring at the stars. These poems left me enlightened, hopeful and a little more healed. Tess speaks to the playful child in me with her etchings and reminds me to let her loose a little more frequently. This little book is a place to return to like you would a favourite holiday destination.

[Bella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really beautiful ideas in this book.
“Listen to your own storytelling, there are hints there, take a minute to listen — heal.”

My bookmarked pages:
29, 30, 34, 35, 40, 47, 70, 143, 145, 154

[Anvita (anvitascorner) · Rating 1 out of 5]

these don’t make any sense at all

[megan ୨୧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i cried ok thats all

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley who provided an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The best way to sum up the heart of this collection is perseverance, hope, love (beyond romantic), God, and womanhood.

Starting with God, there are a fair few poems that speak of prayers and a connection with God. As someone who is agnostic, these poems did not speak directly to me, but they were not the central focus of the poetry book, and I could still appreciate the poems for the structure, rhythm, and rhyme that the author does so well. I believe this book would speak to those who are particularly religious, but it can also touch those of us who are not.

The most prominent themes seem to be perseverance, hope, and growth, in all aspects of life. So many of those poems touch on different topics like womanhood, motherhood, and more, but at the core were those three themes, and it makes for a really wonderful and elegant read.

This author clearly has talent, and I was super impressed by the love and emotion that come through the pages. Each poem felt like a Nick Drake song, touching on nature and the elements. It felt floral, much like the cover, and it did not disappoint.

My one hesitation is that, as we see so frequently today, there are quite a few poems that are singular sentences, or only a few words. I understand the appeal, because why else would poets like Rupi Kaur reach such substantial success? However, I felt it sort of muddled the poetry this poet can accomplish. You go from reading a poem with beautiful personification, metaphors, and similes that fill your heart with hope and light, then you get several poems that feel like an Instagram poem. Something you will find in any modern poetry book. Worded and reworded a thousand different ways with the same sentiment.

I know it sells, but I think this author could have managed to find success without it. They are very talented with their words, making each line feel lyrical. There were several poems that I noted because I want to go back and read them specifically, to never forget those poems, because they felt THAT monumental. What I like about them is that they are not so complex that you have to sit and dissect them to understand their message, but they are also not so simple that they take no effort. The longer poems find a perfect balance, something that I think almost anyone could enjoy.

Overall, I think this is a poetry book worth reading, and I will be recommending it to others.

[The Voracious Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Note: I received a free digital review copy of this book from NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review.***

Before reading Tess Guinery’s newest collection The Moonflower Monologues, I didn’t know anything about night flowers. I didn’t know that there were even such flora in existence. These nocturnal beauties, these children of the moon, bloom only under the cover of night, illuminated by nought but pale slivers of moonlight. Because they bloom only at night, they cannot be pollinated by the usual insects. Bats and moths, then, being nocturnal creatures themselves, are primarily responsible for pollinating these fragrance-heavy flowers. These flowers, as you can see, easily lend themselves to metaphor.

In The Moonflower Monologues, Tess Guinery illuminates for us a simple but complex truth: It is only in our darkest moments that we see what we are truly capable of, that we become who we were meant to be. Truthfully, we can only become the best version of ourselves after having been through the kind of reflection and introspection that she details in her book. I must admit, I read this collection through one of the darkest periods of my life. Having survived COVID-19 and been forced to live with my own limitations after the fact, I really needed something bright and beautiful to pull me out of my malaise. I needed, as one of my favorite authors Cheryl Strayed has said before, to be put in the way of beauty.

Part of putting yourself in the way of beauty more often than not requires getting out of your own head and admiring the wonder of creation around you. It requires you to do the deep and laborious work of excavation, to get at the truth of the wonder of life. What is that truth? For me, and I’m sure for Tess Guinery as well, it’s love.

The Moonflower Monologues was published by Andrews McMeel Publishing on January 4th, 2022 and is now available to purchase wherever books are sold. This collection is perfect for fans of Rupi Kaur, Amanda Lovelace, and Lang Leav.

***Note: This review appears in slightly different form on my blog The Voracious Bibliophile at https://thevoraciousbibliophile.com/2...***

[Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

I'm slightly disappointed with this read because the intro/foreword to the book was very beautiful and made me think that the rest of the work would be in the same vein. I also was a little caught off guard by how religious this was I reread the synopsis and didn't anything that would denote this as a religious collection, so that was a little out of nowhere for me. But the main complaint I have with the pieces were that a bunch of them felt very quickly put together to fill the book's page count the many shorter poems didn't feel intentional in the sense that the piece should have been that length, it felt like quick pieces that would act as filler. So with the foreword coming across as very beautiful it set a bar that the rest of the works could not meet.

This advanced copy was given in exchange for an honest review

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This is a lovely collection of short poetry and simple lines of inspiration. I loved the simplicity of the cover and the little flowers throughout the book. It creates a certain power to the words. Also it seemed very fitting to the poetry the book contained. I found the poems simple yet inspiring and motivational. I saw it as almost a day a page motivation poetry on self love and feminity and also the simple pleasures in life. I especially found inspiration and connected with the poem called Made Whole on page 156. The poems throughout were light showing the beauty in the small everyday things we do and see. I read the book and felt like it was aimed to be part self love and part self-help.
Many thanks to the author and publishing team for putting together this lovely and inspiring collection of poems.

[Georgia Stickler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been following Tess for years & the way she lives, writes & creates makes me feel so much more in tune with myself and alive!!! I read the apricot memoirs years ago and loved it- this one didn’t feel as personal to me (maybe it’s because I’m in a different stage of life now too lol) but still a beautiful book! Love the illustration and colors 🥲

“Those who choose to understand where you have been are the ones who are able to celebrate the colors of your victories most.
I want to learn where people have been— more.”

“Dancing & writing
not dissimilar.
Both are full-bodied
& move.”

“I'm learning creativity is important and that painting art at night is sometimes better than a good night's sleep.”

“I clean my entire house just so I can make a mess, again—
The creative process.”

“Art makes love and light last long”

[Maria Lotfi · Rating 3 out of 5]

While at times some of the poems were poignant, the book lacked substance overall. I preferred the author’s first collection of poetry, which felt like Rupi Kaur’s debut, but this one feels like Kaur’s third book: it’s as if it was written in a rush and both authors lacked inspiration and they just forced themselves to write something for the sake of selling some product or for abiding to a publishing contract… I’m sad to write this kind of review because I do love Tess Guinery’s work and I really wanted to love this book, but I cannot consider single lines like “Wild things happen in stillness” or “The words of others do not define you” as poetry. I agree with another reviewer that mentioned that it lacks individuality. I found myself wanting to read fast and finish the book asap…

[Sashka Stojakov · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was somewhere in between 3 - 3.5, but somehow, considering that I was into poetry these couple of days, I'd say it wasn't that good, or maybe it was just too much for me to read the third poetry book on similar topics. However, I would give it a go, once again after some time when I get the chance to see if it would work for me, or if the impressions would stay the same. Until then, I loved the cover, very beautiful colours and nicely designed. Tess's poetry has a great potential to warm your heart and I wish to see more of her in future.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC.