Natasha Ramoutar’s BITTERSWEET is a poetry collection that explores what it means to be a daughter of diaspora. It captures feelings of longing for home and not belonging; of lost ancestral connections; and of wondering about inheritance and family history. It explores time and intergenerational trauma, joy and identity. Many poems ask questions about West Indian history, while others focus on the author’s childhood in Scarborough. 

 

Ramoutar’s background is similar to my own—Indo-Guyanese heritage but raised in or near Toronto. The way Ramoutar explores identity and grief resonates with me and mirrors a lot of my own experiences and feelings. In these poems, she is searching for answers and connections to her ancestors in ways I and many other West Indians do. As I read more books by West Indian authors this is always the connecting thread—we share in our grief and quest for answers. In other books this grief often manifests as anger and pain, and while those emotions appear in these poems, there is also grace. This collection carries a softness that is often missing from West Indian culture; a softness that was not afforded to our parents or indentured ancestors, but a softness that I’ve always had within myself. It’s special to feel seen like this. And to offer this grace to our ancestors while also recognizing the pain feels groundbreaking. This book has deeply impacted me and I’m so excited to read more from Natasha Ramoutar.