The poems of Diana Riviera's collectionHeartache are Muted Colorsare tough and durable as cacti in the desert and bright as the flowers that bloom atop their spines. They sing of Latina pain and empowerment, of girlhood and motherhood in a body and country that betray--and yet the speaker rises valiantly through personal, social, and cultural trauma. At the heart of this collection is a spiritual battle where the speaker's Ancestors guide her, where the Moon offers guidance, and the Spirits help the speaker rebuild her altar, one lyric at a time. Gorgeous work. --Jenn Givhan, author ofBelly to the BrutalandRiver Woman, River Demon
Poetry. American. Hispanic & Latino.