Knees in the Garden / Christina Rodriguez / 2023

Knees in the Garden / Christina Rodriguez / 2023

At her best, Christina Rodriguez writes like Yesika Salgado meets Natalie Diaz. I was disarmed by the whispered intimacy, at times humiliating vulnerability, and lip-biting desire here. This book is truly a gift. I would've read it in one very enjoyable high sitting if I wasn't interrupted by a mouse. If I was in the mood for a book with a bigger head than a heart, I'd rate this a low 3. But I'm a sucker for warm honest poems and enjoy this collection at a high 4 level. The most disappointing thing about the book was its design: why invest the money in such a beautiful hard cover for it to be minimalistic Calibri word doc design in the interior? Wtf Querencia Press. Christina deserves better than that.