It’s time to write about Milk and Honey, a 2014 self-published poetry book by Rupi Kaur, and how it became a New York Times best seller in October of 2015.
As a writer, there are so many things to think about when it comes to putting thoughts on paper making it your own, organizing them in a way that is appealing to a larger audience, and wondering how to get your book noticed, recognized and get the acclaim necessary to be a successful author.
Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing releasing “Milk and Honey” under their name, the book became one of the best-selling poetry books in the world.
Given the competition, it is one of the most challenging goals to accomplish.
The Things Milk and Honey Did Well
Organization
First of all, the book is organized nicely into several different sections. The Hurting, The Loving, The Breaking, and The Healing. Each section serves a different emotion, deals with a separate pain, and heals a variety of heartaches.
While it takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life, it also finds sweetness in them. Rupi Kaur said “Sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.”
Maybe this is a not-so-typical poetry book, but it certainly deals with heartbreak, femininity, love, and so much more. Furthermore, it offers readers a way to compartmentalize their own life. It touches and moves individuals to change, grow and develop better interpersonal skills.
Creative Drawings From the Heart
The images from Milk and Honey are posted and circulated on social media, like Instagram, FaceBook, and Twitter. Each page has a short hand-written looking poem and an illustration that reminds me of “Where the Sidewalk Ends”. The images are simple, make a statement, and are emotionally charged.
Because they are so simple, yet so impactful, they have been shared and re-tweeted across the web by girls and women touched by her poetry all around the world.
Making it Relatable
Most noteworthy, she captures the spirit of emotion in many situations that so many women and men can relate with. Making a book digestible is so important, especially when it comes to artistic prose such as this. The book is easy to scan, doesn’t require much effort to let each poem sink in, and it is easy to reflect visually on memories and moments over time.
This is how to best capture connections.
In conclusion, this book is a must read. It is honest, raw and objectifies all those who have been broken, loved, struggled and those who have lost.
The Loving is so heartfelt and delightful; you can’t help but be filled with happiness as the honey drips from the pages. The Breaking captures the pain felt when a relationship ends or when self-doubt comes into play. But my favorite chapter of this inspiring book was The Healing. So many life-lessons, empowering words, and overall uplifting messages.
Visit your local library to check out this book. It can be worth it if you want to read it for free.
A similar heartfelt book about relationship endings and beginnings can be found here.