Review: Girls’ Book of Knots

Girls’ Book of Knots

By K.D. Harryman

K.D. Harryman’s ‘Girls’ Book of Knots’ was a wonderful read. It's a beautiful and at times haunting poetry collection about growing up as a girl amidst the hardships of rural Kentucky. Told through the perspective of a mother reflecting on the dangers and difficulties of her own upbringing as she now raises two daughters, the collection is a moving portrayal of girlhood and our connections to place.

These are also stories about the contradictions of place. A town in economic turmoil and plagued by antiquated worldviews is surrounded by wild, natural beauty. A landscape full of awe and discovery with deep connections to the people who make it home. But a slippage in time and progress threatens the promise of youth.

A knot, too, is a tangled contradiction. When tied tight it offers support and security, and protection against the unpredictable. It fastens and binds us close together. But it also signals a foreboding. When tied tight, a knot inhibits movement, prevents escape, and portends danger.

These contradictions ebb and flow throughout the collection, allowing the reader to drift from feelings of pain and desperation to ones of admiration and hope. The use of erasure in the poems emphasizes those peaks with even greater subtle power. Ultimately, though, what binds us most is a mother’s story. One told fiercely and honestly to her young daughters and young girls everywhere. It’s a warning, but it’s also where we come from.