The Sun and Her Flowers

the sun and her flowers by Rupi Kaur . Reviewed by C. J. Singh . Based on my interviews with a large random sample of young students at Stanford University and at UCBerkeley on Rupi Kaur's two books, it's clear that her two multi-genrè novellas are the voice of this generation just as the songs of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan are the voice of sixties generation. As Rupi Kaur’s brilliant multi-genrè novellas are thematically linked, I ‘ll begin briefly with the first, “milk and honey.” In “milk and honey,” Rupi Kaur writes that her growing up as a female in a nurturing Sikh family shaped her development as a writer and artist: “the name Kaur runs in my blood; it was in my blood; it was in me before the word itself existed; it is my identity and my liberation – Kaur, a woman in my Sikhi” (page 184). To better understand Rupi Kaur’s books, the reader should take a look at the source of her “identity and liberation.” I’ll cite from an objective source by the British Professor Eleanor Nesbitt’s “Sikhism,” published in 2005, by Oxford University Press. Nesbitt, quotes from the Sikh scripture on “championing women”: From a woman comes the family. If one woman dies we seek another; without woman there can be no bond. Why call woman bad when she gives birth to rajas? Woman herself is born of woman, and none comes into this world without her.” THIS IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY ! Reading a large sample of the more than 3000 published amazon-reviews of "milk and honey," I noticed many reviewers commenting that the book evoked in them deep emotions including crying, which can be part of the self-healing process. Rupi Kaur’s second book “the sun and her flowers” is an engaging journal that transcends as a brilliant novella. Narrated in first-person singular point-of view, she creatively presents many poems composed as free verse, prose-poems, prose, and evocative drawings. Her poem on the back cover, which she herself illustrated, is an excellent example: “this is the recipe of life said my mother as she held me in her arms as i wept think of those flowers you plant in the garden each year they will teach you that people too must wilt fall root rise in order to bloom.” A novella of young-adult genrè, it’s divided into a five-chapter journey of the protagonist, who is metaphorically envisioned as a flower wilting; falling; rooting; rising; blooming. These correspond to the linear storytelling pattern of the inciting incident, protagonist’s efforts, series of complications, climax, and resolution. An upbeat resolution presented. On the opening pages the inciting incident: “on the last day of love my heart cracked inside my body i spent the entire night casting spells to bring you back i reached for the last bouqet of flowers you gave me now wilting in their vase one by one i popped their heads off and ate them” In this book, the author develops in much greater detail the immigrant experience. Not only of the Punjabi immigrants from north India like her parents but also of immigrants in general (page 151): “so how dare you mock your mother when she opens her mouth and broken english spills out … she already knows what it feels like to have an entire nation laugh when she speaks she is more than our punctuation and language we might be able to paint pictures and write stories but she made an entire world for herself” As brilliant insertions, Rupi Kaur composed compact odes and illustrated each with her drawings: “ode to sobha singh’s ‘sohni mahiwal’ ” (page 169); “ode to matisse’s ‘dance’ ” (page 203); ode to amrita sher-gil’s ‘village scene 1938’ ” (page 211); ode to raymond douillet’s ‘a short tour and farewell’ ” (page 237). Both of Rupi Kaur’s novellas will continue to appeal as the voice of the contemporary young-adults globally.

Super good book, definitely recommend reading!!

Intense, not 100% sure how I feel about parts of it, but that's probably what the writer wanted.

Product Review: I purchased this product on April 13, 2023. I decided to buy this product after encountering it frequently on the internet, particularly in English classes and through recommendations from friends who shared my love for poetry—a genre that has captivated me since my younger years. Having owned the hardcover version of this book for over four months now, I am impressed with its enduring condition. The book, with its well-placed pictures, provided a delightful reading experience. I am still getting through this book as I found myself needing to complete other tasks in my daily life and forgot to finish reading this one, however its so text heavy that I find myself needing to re read things to fully understand, overall its proving itself to be an immensely worthwhile read. I highly recommend this beautifully written book to others who appreciate poetry. However, I would advise that this book is intended for young adults and not suitable for readers younger than that age group. The content is descriptive, and the images, while adding to the book's appeal, might be interpreted as graphic. Added Photos Description/Review: These photos were taken on December 31, 2023. They serve as a visual testament to the durability and excellent condition in which the book arrived and has been maintained throughout my ownership. Additionally, the images highlight what I find to be the charming and well-crafted design of the book. Overall, these pictures contribute to my positive review of a book that has not only withstood the test of time but also offers an aesthetically pleasing experience.

After reading “milk and honey” last year, I was happy to find out that this poet had just released another poetry collection, this one. Similar to “milk and honey,” “the sun and her flowers” covers themes of love and loss and womanhood and femininity, but in my opinion is a lot less cohesive than m&h as a collection. I think this is because there are a lot more themes covered in this book loosely fitting into one of 5 thematic categories- wilting, falling, rooting, rising and blooming. The poems or thoughts strongly covers the men’s of heartbreak, sexuality, depression, self-acceptance, immigration, romantic love, familial love and understanding, violence and rape, feminism, girl power, aging- basically every and any issue that has anything to do with the female experience. I did actually really like this collection, just less than m&h because I found that to be more cohesive and organized, whereas this was at times a little “all over the place” within the category chapters. I also at times felt that I had read the first two chapters before somewhat in m&h and it was only once we got towards the end of chapter falling and into chapter rooting that I found the ideas new and powerful. This is not at all to say any of this is bad, but coming off m&h, some of the poems in the early chapters felt a little “young,” a little overly similar to m&h but like m&h got the better versions. Overall, this is another awesome collection of poems by rupi kaur, I cannot recommend it enough for young (and old) women- it should pretty much be essential reading for anyone over the age of 15 or so.

I bought this copy as a gift for a friend. I found my own first copy in a thrift store. Hadn't heard of it before that moment, but I was intrigued by the title. I stood in the thrift store book section and read 20 pages with no awareness of the activity around me. This is just a beautiful work of art and it sucked me in. So honest and soul baring...and it's a very fast read. Feels like a dream. I have purchased two more copies of this book since that day and also acquired copies of her other books as well. Rupi Kaur is a force of nature - someone to watch and learn from, admire and adore. I can't wait to see what she does next.

This book is a beautiful masterpiece. The perfect alliterations of love, heartbreak, and self-acceptance are moving beyond words. I finished this book in a mere afternoon, and it had me soaking up every word. An incredibly beautiful illustration of rebuilding one’s self after surviving utter destruction. The internal themes of immigration, culture, and motherhood should be read by everyone everywhere.

Rupi Kaur did it again! Another great book filled with beautiful poems. She always leaves you wanting more. Thank can’t wait to see what she has in store for her next book!