Book Review: Adagio For The Internally Displaced

”A multitude of peaces: in and out of the marine transparent...”

When I started reading this book, I didn’t expect to be as captivated as I was. At a first glance, thought the premise could be slightly commonplace but I was so wrong. The book starts off with a well-received introduction to who are the internally displaced in need of help worldwide, and this ultimately gives a voice to the narrative of longing, exile and suffering. It carries a theme that’s very refreshing to the palate. The book is profoundly styled in Italian-English facing page translation which complements the theme of the poems.

This book is split into four sections. We see different perspectives of migrants and their story of hope, longing and separation which resonates with most internally displaced population and even with third culture kids of today. Just as seamlessly, Po was able to illustrate the plight of migrants and the adversities that they face.

It is alive with elliptical and hallucinatory imageries, gripping at times when the narrative takes into the struggles of the internally displaced. The author expertly captured the vicious cycles of arrival, imprisonment, tribunal and death with deliberate brevity and cadence. The English translation honors Po’s masterful selection of words. One thing I appreciated with the book is the structure in which they were written it, the form and brevity were very deliberate and intelligent.

Overall, it was a quick read but the words really stuck to me days after completing the book. Riveting. It will leave you with a sense of diasporic feeling. If you enjoy poetry or if you would like to give poetry a try, this would be worth checking out. Also worth mentioning that author royalties received from this book will be donated to four charities dedicated to serving, protecting and advocating for safe refugee return, housing and refugee rights.

RATING: 5 passports out of 5

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