This is truly a great collection. The voice within it is so clear, as if it is speaking directly to my soul. There are some wonderful lines that have really stuck with me, leaving a lasting impression.

I am definitely glad that this precious piece was just sitting there in a random English corner of the library in Hungary. It was like a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

As I delved into its pages, I was transported to a world of emotions and ideas. The words seemed to dance on the paper, captivating my attention and making me eager to turn the next page.

It is rare to come across such a remarkable collection, and I feel fortunate to have found it. It has not only enriched my literary experience but also given me a new perspective on life and language.

I will surely cherish this find and recommend it to others who have a love for beautiful writing and profound thoughts.

For no particularly good reason, I have made up my mind to attempt to read all the poetry books that the Playa Vista branch of the LA Public Library has to offer. The likelihood that I will actually succeed in this endeavor is not especially high, but I am rather fond of the project. In any case, this is the first book from the Playa Vista branch that I have read.

I was completely unfamiliar with Alvarez's work. The book dates back to 1984 and was then significantly revised for a new edition in 1996. Two sonnet sequences in the volume do not hold up extremely well, yet there is also a great deal to appreciate throughout. The title poem, "Homecoming," has a delightfully layered narrative. "After Cinderella" seemed like precisely the right thing to read following the excellent results for women in the 2016 midterms. Its final lines truly struck a chord with me: "That some of us learned to go barefoot / knowing the mate to one foot is the other." Similarly, the concluding lines of one of the sonnets in "Redwing Sonnets" were quite moving: "I tell you, I think half the fun (or more) / of being alive in the world is learning / the names of things so there are no things at all / left in the world, so that dying you know / exactly what you are leaving behind."

It's been an interesting start to this reading project, and I'm curious to see what other literary treasures I'll discover in the poetry collection of the Playa Vista branch.

Julia Alvarez is an outstanding poet and novelist.

Her first published collection of writing, "Homecoming", which consists of poems and sonnets, is truly remarkable.

In this collection, she explores a diverse array of emotions and experiences. She delves into the vastness of different continents, the horrors of war, and the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

Love is another prominent theme, whether it be the love between a man and a woman, or the love for one's parents.

Travel also features prominently, as Alvarez takes the reader on a journey through her own experiences and the places she has visited.

Overall, "Homecoming" is a powerful and moving collection that showcases Alvarez's talent as a writer and her ability to touch on the most profound and universal of human emotions.

This is Julia Alvarez's first book of poems, which has been rereleased with a significant number of additions and several revisions. It truly reveals the remarkable talent that she continues to showcase not only in her other books of poetry but also in her fiction.

"Homecoming" deals with a particular sensitivity in an emphatic and meaningful way. Even in some of the additions, Alvarez demonstrates her unwavering character and dedication to engaged poetry. Poems like "Folding My Clothes" and "Charges" specifically explore her complex relationship with her mother. The poems in "Heroines," especially "Old Heroines," offer a fascinating look at the images presented to women as models.

From "Old Heroines":

Where do the heroines go when their novels are over?
If she's not married off, she gets on a train
and rides to the city to see her old lover--
though it's clear from the ending he has broken things off.
And as she is racing through Russia or Iowa
she looks out the window, the dark fields rolling by,
or maybe the night sky filling with stars....
She sees her reflection, a face still dramatic,
pale and young in that afterward light.
She wonders, how long must I still play this part?

Each of these poems is filled with meticulous commentary on the world we inhabit. This commentary is further expanded in large portions of "33" - a sequence of 46 (originally 33) sonnets that delves into atrocity, love, expectation, and other themes.

The sequence "Redwing Sonnets" is equally outstanding, exploring the power and position of language. The longer closing and opening poems, "Homecoming" and "Last Night at Tia's," both look at Alvarez's experience as a Dominican American woman. From "Homecoming":

The workmen costumed in their workclothes danced
a workman's jig. The maids went by with trays
of wedding bells and matchbooks monogrammed
with Dick's and Carmen's names. It would be years
before I took the courses that would change my mind
in schools paid for by sugar from the fields around us,
years before I could begin to comprehend
how one does not see the maids when they pass by
with trays of deviled eggs arranged in daisy wheels.

Overall, "Homecoming" is a powerful and elegant collection of poems that is highly recommended.

I really liked that these poems were about relatable things. It made me feel a strong connection as I read through them. The poets seemed to have a great understanding of the common experiences and emotions that we all go through in life.

For the reading challenge, I chose to focus on poetry. It was a wonderful choice as it allowed me to explore different styles and themes. The words in the poems had a powerful impact on me, evoking various feelings and thoughts.

Poetry has this unique ability to capture the essence of a moment or an idea in just a few lines. It can make us see the world from a different perspective and appreciate the beauty in the simplest of things.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading these poems for the reading challenge. It was a fulfilling and enriching experience that I would highly recommend to others.

Just the briefest moments of sweet,

but mostly it feels like a writer on a schedule.

There are times when the inspiration strikes like a bolt of lightning, and those precious moments are filled with a sense of joy and fulfillment.

However, more often than not, the writer is bound by the constraints of time and deadlines.

The pressure to produce words on a regular basis can be overwhelming.

It's like being on a treadmill that never stops, constantly striving to meet the expectations.

But despite the challenges, the writer persists, for the love of the craft and the desire to share stories with the world.

Each word written is a step forward, a contribution to the literary landscape.

And even in the midst of the schedule-driven chaos, there are still glimmers of hope and moments of beauty that make it all worthwhile.

Alvarez's first publication was initially printed in 1984. However, in 1996, she revisited her poems. She added a few more and then republished it into this new version. At that time, she was 34 years old. This age is something she calls into question quite a few times in her poetry. She felt rather young, unfulfilled, and definitely not living up to the expectations of her family.

She found solace in words. Needing to be heard, she wrote about her childhood, as well as snippets of life that most people hardly think about, like cleaning or ironing. She breathed life into a silhouette of memories.

Though her voice is hesitant in her poems, something I think she regrets a little later, it helps to fulfill that sense of youth forever captured in words. I think it lends a kind of innocence to her that is fractured by daily life, demands, and realities that don't exactly align with the way she wants to live her life. In a way, she even defies the demands of her family and culture by writing her first publication almost entirely in English, despite her Dominican heritage.

It is a solid collection of poems, a good series of perfectly framed pictures of a life that is not our own yet also seems quite similar to our own.

Yeah, this was truly epic. It was unlike anything I’d ever read before.

What made it even more special was that it was written by a woman. At 33, she has become my favorite author.

Her writing style is so unique and captivating. It draws you in from the very first sentence and keeps you hooked until the end.

The story she tells is full of excitement, adventure, and emotion. It makes you feel as if you are right there with the characters, experiencing everything they are going through.

I can’t wait to read more of her work and see what other amazing stories she has in store for us.

This is definitely an author to watch out for.

Julia Alvarez has long been one of my favorite authors.

I have reread her biographical "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent" numerous times whenever I am in need of a laugh. The subject matter itself is not something to simply chuckle at, but Alvarez has this remarkable ability to transform anything, from the most mundane everyday matters to life-changing events, into comedic prose that truly brightens up my day.

Before Alvarez became a highly prolific writer of novels, she first made her name as a poet. "Homecoming" is her very first published work. The themes she refers to in "Garcia Girls" are already present here: returning home to her native Dominican Republic, the experience of life as an immigrant in New York, and embracing life as a feminist while having traditional parents. There is nothing overly fancy about these poems, yet they played a crucial role in making Alvarez a published author, which in turn led to much bigger and better things for her.

I am truly happy to have read it as it now gives me a clear understanding of where she started and how she has matured as a writer over the years. I savor every single one of her words and I eagerly look forward to spending more time with the wonderful works of Julia Alvarez in the years to come.

3ish stars.

A collection of simple and straightforward poems that beautifully capture the essence of life, family, and the experience of being female and growing up in a society with its own ideas of what a woman should be. These poems offer a unique perspective on the daily lives and emotions of women.

From "Dusting", we see a vivid image as the poet writes, "She erased my fingerprints / from the bookshelf and rocker, / polished mirrors on the desk / scribbled with my alphabets. / My name was swallowed in the towel / with which she jeweled the table tops." It shows the meticulous and perhaps unnoticed work of a woman in maintaining the household, erasing the痕迹 of others and making everything shine.

And in "Woman's Work", the poet challenges the common perception with the line, "Who says a woman's work isn't high art? / She challenged as she scrubbed the bathroom tiles. / Keep house as if the address were your heart." This poem elevates the work of a woman in the home, comparing it to high art and emphasizing the care and love that goes into it.

A beautiful collection of poems is presented here, delving into a diverse range of topics. It explores domesticity, that familiar and often overlooked aspect of our lives. The theme of sex is also touched upon, adding a layer of sensuality and depth. Dating, with all its joys and challenges, is another area that these poems venture into. Parental legacy is yet another fascinating topic, as it examines the influence that our parents have on us. And of course, the experience of a female writer is at the heart of this collection.

I especially found the section titled "Heroines" to be truly captivating. The poems in this section spoke to me on a deeply personal level as a woman. They captured the essence of what it means to be a female in a world full of expectations and challenges. However, I firmly believe that these poems would be enjoyable for a much wider audience as well. They have the power to touch the hearts and minds of people from all walks of life, regardless of gender.

It's sweet, just not my taste.

This simple statement holds a world of meaning. The sweetness that others might find delightful simply doesn't appeal to me. Taste is such a subjective thing, and what one person craves, another might find overly cloying or uninteresting. Perhaps it's the type of sweetness, or maybe it's the context in which it's presented. Whatever the reason, I can't help but feel a bit of a disconnect when it comes to this particular flavor. However, I also recognize that there are countless other tastes and experiences out there waiting for me to discover. And who knows, maybe one day, I'll come across a sweetness that truly speaks to my palate and changes my perspective. Until then, I'll continue to explore and enjoy the diverse range of flavors that life has to offer.