I was lucky enough to be given another advance reader copy by Nymeria Publishing, this time of Fragile Hearts Club, a lovely poetry collection by Rachael Lord. It's her first collection, and after the joy I got from the last one, I was excited to begin this one.
Fragile Hearts Club's author Rachael Lord is an actress who wrote this collection for "the little girl that used to write poetry in her bedroom and scribble it down in notebooks during class...[who is] not too sensitive, too emotional, too fragile." Her poems cover the heavier topics of trauma, loss, self-esteem problems, and the general realization that life is not a fairytale. The collection ends up optimistic, wading through the emotions she felt throughout her life to come out stronger and full of magic, in her words.
I was immediately gut-punched by the first poem.
For those of us with hearts that shatter at the touch of any slight inconvenience or cruel intention ... Let me take that for you and hold it up to the sky so that you, my friend, can find your magic.
- From "Welcome to the Club," Fragile Hearts Club by Rachael Lord.
It wasn't just this piece, however. On every other page, I found myself blinking back tears. These pages described me - they described a girl with a love for acting and a heart that felt far too deeply. They described someone whose life revolved around pleasing someone who would not return their affection, holding up a version of themselves that made others happy rather than holding up the real self.
It was so strange to see myself reflected so clearly in Lord's experiences. Her subjects rang painfully but beautifully true for me and I couldn't wait to read on. Her style is even much like mine. However, she uses words so differently; I adore her beautiful grasp of the English language, and the way that her poems seem to hold this air of both magic and music.
It’s lovely to be lonely and lovelier still to not feel so alone when you feel completely abandoned within yourself.
- From "Lovely, Lonely," Fragile Hearts Club by Rachael Lord.
Poetry is, of course, supposed to be personal, but Lord's poetry is also raw, and real - equally optimistic and painful to read. She bears her soul for her readers to remind them that no matter what others tell them, they will never lose their magic; you are always worth more than you think you are.
If you are a fan of modern, emotional poetry, I would highly recommend Lord's work. I am looking forward to seeing what she does with her upcoming novel - I'm sure it'll be just as brilliant.
Fragile Hearts Club is available through Nymeria Publishing. You can also follow Rachael on Instagram.