How to Cure a Ghost

The poems fell into my hands as a gift from a friend. They are beautifully written. I ended up gifting on 3 copies to my South Asian friends. I dip in and out, there’s always a line or two in each poem that lingers with me after. I think the book will resonate with anyone who has had to fight to be accepted - whether it’s self-acceptance or acceptance from people/society.My two favourite poems were - “after the loss, take 2” and “for the aunties.”

This is a great collection that is one of my favourites to re-read. It is also a collection that I have gifted because of how beautifully it is written and put together. Will definitely forever have a place in my library!

Me encanta su forma de escribir, y las ilustraciones le agregan mucho al libro.

How to Cure a Ghost is a reminder that our bodies contain histories, and that every time an incident of flippant, casual racism/misogyny/queerphobia happens, it's an accumulation of war and abuse, rape and violence, that have been normalized intergenerationally. It's about the abuse enacted by mothers, while considering the history of that abuse; it's about the psychological torture of being talked about but never heard, of not knowing the sound of our own voices because of how long it's been drowned out by others, it's about a deep empathy and respect for abusive parents who have survived so much that you'll never have to go through. It's about longing to love. I love this collection so much and I'll be reading it over and over again. This illustrated poetry collection is a work of ART in itself.

This book is one of the most convoluted pieces of writing I have ever read. It is filled with self-pity and riddled with historical inaccuracies when referring to South Asia. There is no clear purpose to this book nor does it help any reader "cure" anything. A sad take on what could have been an opportunity of representation, and narration of a journey to recovery, stitched together in incoherent rambling with a dose of the author's heavy narcissism. Anyone reading this would be unlikely to see themselves in this reading and instead become more confused about their various identities. Avoid this if you don't want to be dumbed down with poor writing and whining.