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Milk and Honey Paperback – 5 Nov. 2015
Purchase options and add-ons
- Print length208 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAndrews McMeel Publishing
- Publication date5 Nov. 2015
- Dimensions12.7 x 1.27 x 19.56 cm
- ISBN-109781449474256
- ISBN-13978-1449474256

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From the Publisher

Milk and Honey
From Rupi Kaur, comes the beautiful audio edition of milk and honey, her debut poetry collection. Read to you by the author, milk and honey is a book about survival, love, loss and femininity. milk and honey takes you on a journey of of hurting, loving, breaking and healing. Listen to Rupi Kaur's incredible poetry, in her own words.
this is the journey of
surviving through poetry
this is the blood sweat tears
of twenty-one years
this is my heart
in your hands.

Rupi Kaur
Rupi Kaur is a top ten Sunday Times bestselling author and illustrator of two collections of poetry. She started drawing at the age of five when her mother handed her a paintbrush and said – draw your heart out. After completing her degree in rhetoric and professional writing, she published her first collection of poems, milk and honey, in 2015, which quickly became an international bestseller. It has since sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide and been translated into over 23 languages. Her long-awaited second collection continues her exploration of themes including love, loss, trauma, healing and femininity. Along with writing and illustrating, Rupi has performed her poetry to sold-out audiences across the world.
Product description
Review
“Rupi Kaur has vision beyond her years … Her work is simply but powerfully expressed, and viscerally captures both universal human experience and the particular struggles of a young woman today." (Huffington Post)
Rupi’s poetry is simple, relatable, gorgeous, and grounded in the everyday experiences of young women. (Rachel Grate, Hello Giggles)
"A must-have poetry collection about healing and hope." (Bustle)
Rupi Kaur's first book, Milk and Honey is the poetry collection every woman needs on her nightstand or coffee table. Accompanied by her own sketches, the beautifully honest poems read like the everyday, collective experiences of today's modern woman. (Erin Spencer, Huffington Post)
“Discussing themes of love, loss, and healing, Milk and Honey finds a way to connect to every reader. “ (Business Insider)
"Milk and Honey brings any tormented reader to an enlightened state of self-reflection that may have taken years to accomplish alone.”
(Elite Daily)
The honest words of Rupi Kaur leave you continuously wanting more as she writes with eloquence and poise. Her work will send you to past thoughts and realities you might not have known you had.
(Sienna Brown, WildSpice Magazine)
Rupi Kaur’s writing echoes of artistry and wisdom which is seen in the work of those that have been writing for years. (Samira Sawlani, Media Diversified)
From the Back Cover
About the Author
As she has done from the very beginning, Rupi self-produced Rupi Kaur Live, the first poetry special of its kind, which debuted on Amazon Prime Video in 2021.
Rupi Kaur graces stages across the globe on sold-out world tours. These shows are a poetic theatrical experience interlaced with her own touch of stand-up. Her work touches on love, loss, trauma, healing, femininity, and migration. She feels most at home when creating art, performing her poetry onstage, and spending time with family and friends.
Product details
- ASIN : 144947425X
- Publisher : Andrews McMeel Publishing (5 Nov. 2015)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 208 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9781449474256
- ISBN-13 : 978-1449474256
- Dimensions : 12.7 x 1.27 x 19.56 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 12,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 188 in Poetry (Books)
- 1,235 in Religion & Spirituality (Books)
- Customer reviews:
About the author

A breakout literary phenomenon and #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Rupi Kaur wrote, illustrated, and self-published her first poetry collection, 'milk and honey' in 2014. Next came its artistic sibling, 'the sun and her flowers' in 2017. These collections have sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into over 40 languages. Her latest poetry collection, 'home body', debuted #1 on bestseller lists across the world. As she has done from the very beginning, Rupi self- produced Rupi Kaur Live, the first poetry special of its kind, which debuted on Amazon Prime Video in 2021.
Rupi Kaur has also graced the stage across the globe on world tours, performing her poetry across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the UK, Europe, and more. Intertwined with visuals, music, comedy, and anecdotes, Rupi performs her classic poems and unpublished pieces, tailoring each show to the city she visits.
Rupi’s work touches on love, loss, trauma, healing, femininity, and migration. She feels most at home when creating art, performing her poetry onstage, and spending time with family and friends.
Customer reviews
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this poetry book stunning, with beautiful words and illustrations, and appreciate its emotional content and ability to articulate feelings. The book is easy to relate to, powerful, and serves as a perfect gift. They value its feminist message, with one customer noting how it tackles stereotypically taboo subjects for women, and another highlighting its unapologetically raw content. While the book receives positive feedback overall, some customers express concerns about its graphic content.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers praise the poetry book for its stunning and beautifully written content, noting that the poems are illustrated with wonderful drawings and accompanied by interesting doodles.
"...I went on to purchase every single one she’s wrote and it really got me in to poetry. I will forever thank this book for doing what it’s done." Read more
"Beautiful and delicately written" Read more
"...meanings that are easier to grasp, and you appreciate the beautiful simplicity in which these ideas can be expressed, then I would recommend reading..." Read more
"...It is simple, heart-breaking, self loving poetry. So light as cotton candy yet so powerful with every word that shakes your core." Read more
Customers find the book uplifting, with its emotional content and clear articulation of feelings, making it a heart-breaking read that resonates deeply with readers.
"Wow I have never read such a raw, honest, painful, unflinching description before... At times I could barely turn the page... The author surely is..." Read more
"...To me, this was such a thought-provoking collection, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next." Read more
"...It is simple, heart-breaking, self loving poetry. So light as cotton candy yet so powerful with every word that shakes your core." Read more
"The BEST poetry book I’ve ever read. Each piece brought me to tears and connected with me so well...." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and relate to, with one customer noting that it is succinctly described in short sentences.
"Wow I have never read such a raw, honest, painful, unflinching description before... At times I could barely turn the page... The author surely is..." Read more
"...It is simple, heart-breaking, self loving poetry. So light as cotton candy yet so powerful with every word that shakes your core." Read more
"I love Rupi Kaur’s writing style, the topics she writes about and the rawness. I think many people can benefit from reading her work" Read more
"...This book was more vulnerable and naïve but still so beautifully written...." Read more
Customers find the book powerful and helpful.
"...at it honestly can she let go of anger and can healing begin... Truly powerful" Read more
"...Emancipated and empowered, this is the poetry that she should be writing. The book is worth reading and worth sticking with...." Read more
"...Rupi Kaur did an amazing job...." Read more
"...It takes about 30 minutes to read, but is so powerful and important as a collection...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's feminist message, with one customer noting how it tackles taboo subjects for women, while another mentions its relatable content for many women.
"...A rock & anthem to women, all shapes and sizes, no matter their colour or train of thought. It is simple, heart-breaking, self loving poetry...." Read more
"...is a collection of poetry about love loss trauma abuse healing and femininity, please be aware of these before going into this book...." Read more
"...It tackles stereotypically 'taboo' subjects for women. Like finding the power in your own body, anatomy, nakedness, sexual assault etc...." Read more
"...I do think it is slightly more aimed towards women though" Read more
Customers appreciate the book's content, with one describing it as unapologetically raw and beautifully honest.
"Wow I have never read such a raw, honest, painful, unflinching description before... At times I could barely turn the page... The author surely is..." Read more
"I love Rupi Kaur’s writing style, the topics she writes about and the rawness. I think many people can benefit from reading her work" Read more
"very pinteresty & tumblry poetry. i did not like it. HOWEVER. i LOVED that kaur put her experiences & her life into writing." Read more
"Relatable, raw and enlightening, Milk and Honey takes you on a poetical journey through real and serious topics...." Read more
Customers find the book makes a perfect gift, with one mentioning it's great for an empowered woman.
"...So simple but so perfect. Would make the perfect gift for anyone!" Read more
"This was the perfect gift for a teenage girl Something small enough to bring with you or have next to you, on a night table..." Read more
"Present for my daughter and just what she wanted" Read more
"Amazing poems, makes a great gift" Read more
Customers have mixed reactions to the book's graphic content, with some appreciating it while others find it disturbing, particularly in its depiction of assault and heartbreak.
"Although vulgar at times for the older crowd. This was a brilliant book...." Read more
"...She won't be getting it though. It is truly awful and depressing, there is nothing in this book that is uplifting or good, just mostly four line..." Read more
"...Basic poetry, childish attitudes/notions.... perfect for teenage girls I guess." Read more
"...Sometimes the poems come across as overly simplistic, with unorthodox structures, but most of the content is interesting with the odd powerful and..." Read more
Reviews with images

Second hand?
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 November 2024Although vulgar at times for the older crowd. This was a brilliant book. I went on to purchase every single one she’s wrote and it really got me in to poetry. I will forever thank this book for doing what it’s done.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2025Wow I have never read such a raw, honest, painful, unflinching description before... At times I could barely turn the page... The author surely is gifted with describing what most of us would struggle to bring out into the open and yet only by looking at it honestly can she let go of anger and can healing begin... Truly powerful
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 October 2024Beautiful and delicately written
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 April 2017**RATING: 4.5/5**
Right, so a lot of people have been criticising this book (here and on other sites) for not being 'real poetry.' It's considered 'too Tumblr', or is regarded as 'poorly written' for not containing many 'real' poetic devices. The reviewers with this line of thinking usually go on to recommend other 'real' poets such as Syliva Plath, Emily Dickinson, Emily Berry, Edgar Allen Poe, Carol Ann Duffy, etc.
To that, I would like to say that there is no such thing as a 'real' poet -- it's entirely subjective. Even after reading the works of all of the aforementioned poets and more (Charles Bukowski was another popular suggestion -- I've read some of his works, too), I still prefer the work of Rupi.
I want to make it clear that I think ALL of the above poets are talented. The other poets that I have mentioned do have more 'colourful' poems in terms of imagery, showing and not telling; the themes discussed. However, a poet's ability to use such devices (for me) isn't entirely what makes a 'good' poet.
If you're solely after eloquent metaphors/imagery in a poem, regardless of the poem's theme/how accessible it may be to you, then maybe Rupi's book is not for you. Instead, I would suggest reading works from any of the above poets, as I found that I could appreciate their works for how well-crafted they were (although, at times, I did find Rupi's imagery to be quite striking).
If, however, you like to read poems that you can easily relate to; with deeper meanings that are easier to grasp, and you appreciate the beautiful simplicity in which these ideas can be expressed, then I would recommend reading 'Milk and Honey.' I found that while Rupi's language wasn't the most eloquent or 'grand' on the whole, her work was highly emotive. She also has a talent for putting into words the things that not all of us can easily express; she does so powerfully.
I think that whether or not you will like this book really depends on what you look for in a poet. To me, this was such a thought-provoking collection, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 February 2025bought as a gift and she was very happy with it ...
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 August 2017I will say it: I LOVE THIS BOOK!
I borrowed it initially from my friend and it was a very simple, easy, fast and lovely read. In a couple of hours I was done. But as soon as I was done I realised that I will buy this book to have in my library (and the reason was simple: it is good to have at any time, but especially after a break up) plus I immediately wanted to go back to the beginning and start it up again.
It is a book about love and destruction - split into 4 chapters: the hurting, the loving, the breaking and the healing. A rock & anthem to women, all shapes and sizes, no matter their colour or train of thought. It is simple, heart-breaking, self loving poetry. So light as cotton candy yet so powerful with every word that shakes your core.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 January 2024The BEST poetry book I’ve ever read. Each piece brought me to tears and connected with me so well. The poems tell not only a story but also connect with the reader in a meaningful way. Beautiful book. Have bought it 2 more times as gifts for friends
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2016I wanted so much to like this book.
By the end I did but a few things to point out to the discerning reader....
Yes, it is derivative for anyone who has already read Warsan Shire or Nayirrah Waheed (other reviewers have already pointed this out, including one in the actual product description: "Rupi Kaur’s writing echoes of artistry and wisdom which is seen in the work of those that have been writing for years. (Samira Sawlani, Media Diversified)"); as a direct comparison to the poets mentioned above, Kaur's voice can come across as inauthentic and some of her poetry is only just this side of cloying, schmaltzy sentiment or the kind of obvious advice you'd find in the problem pages of teen magazines (one of her shorter works states something along the lines of "It's not enough for him to love you/You have to first love yourself" - something most people over the age of twenty already know); some of her verses play with very old tropes of traditional Indian poetry ("Heaven lies under your parents' feet," "Beautiful to look at but stung when I got too close," the suggestion of roses etc.) and I don't know whether to applaud her for refreshing them in her own very modern collection or to regard them as old sentiment dressed up as her own original work.
Kaur's language can lack the sensuousness and voluptuousness, the potency of that deployed by Shire and Waheed, her verses often fail to deliver the emotional punch-in-the-gut they're trying to lead you toward and the first three chapters are like this!
BUT.... But then you get to the last chapter and what a revelation!
Rupi Kaur FINALLY finds her voice. The poetry of the last chapter is profound and profoundly moving, authoritive and self-certain. Emancipated and empowered, this is the poetry that she should be writing.
The book is worth reading and worth sticking with.
Rupi Kaur is clearly a fine writer (this book is also beautifully illustrated by her) and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Top reviews from other countries
-
letusreadsomebooksReviewed in Germany on 2 October 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Starke Stimme, die gehört werden muss
Was ist gute Poesie?
Muss sie sich reimen? Muss sie rhythmisch sein? Muss sie überhaupt etwas müssen?
Wenn Rupi Kaurs Kritiker sagen, „wahre Dichter“ würden sich im Grabe umdrehen, sollten sie vielleicht mal an den Grabstein von Herrn William Wordsworth klopfen, der sagte: Die Poesie hat ihren Ursprung in einem Gefühl, dessen man sich in Ruhe erinnert. Das hat Kaur getan. Ob dieses Gefühl nun beim Leser ankommt oder nicht, liegt vielleicht auch an ihnen, an mir, an dir.
my heart woke me crying last night
how can i help i begged
my heart said
write the book
milk and honey ist definitiv keine klassische, romantische Lyrik, es sind keine Sonette, es gibt keine Reime. Sie ist von schlichter Sprache, fast schon elementar. Gleichzeitig ist sie stark, eindringlich, eindrucksvoll. Die Gedichte sind meist kurz, Interpunktion ist nicht vorhanden. Die Zeilentrennung mag manch einem seltsam erscheinen, trägt meiner Meinung nach jedoch erheblich zum Fluss des Textes bei. Auf vielen Seiten finden sich ebenfalls Zeichnungen der Dichterin.
milk and honey takes the reader through
a journey of the most bitter moments in life
and finds sweetness in them
because there is sweetness everywhere
if you are just willing to look
Mit wenigen Worten und Zeilen schreibt die 23-Jährige über Liebe, Schmerz, Verlust, Hoffnung, Trauma, Sex, Missbrauch, Weiblichkeit. Es sind eigene Erfahrungen und solche von Frauen, die sie kennengelernt hat. Kaurs Schreibstil funktioniert wie ein Sog,wie ein Strudel, der seinen Leser völlig verschlingt und am Ende des Buches mit unzähligen Emotionen wieder ausspuckt.
our knees
pried open
by cousins
and uncles
and men
our bodies touched
by all the wrong people
that even in a bed full of safety
we are afraid
Kaur hat ergreifende Gedichte geschrieben, wütende, hoffnungsvolle; Gedichte, in welchen sie die Stärken der Frauen anpreist; Gedichte, welche uns helfen, uns selbst zu lieben. Es ist ein Muss für all Diejenigen, die Freude an moderner, freier Poesie haben. Aber vor allen Dingen ist es ein Muss für junge Frauen, für Mädchen; es ist ein Ratgeber, ein Spiegel, eine Inspiration.
You tell me to quiet down cause
my opinions make me less beautiful
but i was not made with a fire in my belly
so i could be put out
i was not made with a lightness on my tongue
so i could be easy to swallow
i was made heavy
half blade and half silk
difficult to forget and not easy
for the mind to follow
Ich habe wirklich versucht, mir diese knapp 200 Seiten aufzusparen, aber ich konnte einfach nicht anders: ich habe es inhaliert. Natürlich ist nicht jedes einzelne Gedicht bahnbrechend gut, aber fast jedes traf eine andere Stelle in meinem Herzen und in meiner Seele. Mein Buch ist voll mit orangefarbenen Post-Its, die meine neuen Lieblingsgedichte markieren. Es sind mindestens zehn. Selten hat mich Lyrik so zum Lächeln gebracht wie Kaurs, sie zeigt uns, dass das Leben, egal wie schrecklich es sein mag, doch eine unglaubliche Schönheit und Kraft besitzt.
The world
gives you
so much pain
and here you are
making gold out of it
Kaurs eigenwillige, moderne Poesie über Schmerz, Trauer, Liebe und Hoffnung hat mich völlig in ihren Bann gezogen. Sie hat vielleicht nicht das Rad neu erfunden, ist keine neue Sylvia Plath, aber sie hat sich mit milk and honey als junge talentierte Stimme am Lyrikhimmel etabliert. Müsste ich fünf Werke empfehlen, die jede junge Frau gelesen haben sollte, wäre dieses hier dabei. Dürfte ich nur eines nennen, vielleicht auch. Für mich gehört milk and honey in jedes Bücherregal, auf jeden Nachttisch, in jede Handtasche.
Wer sich ein genaueres Bild von Rupi Kaurs Gedichten machen möchte, findet auf ihrem Instagram-Account ziemlich viele aus ihrem aktuellen Buch. Ich kann allerdings nur empfehlen, es dann doch noch zu kaufen, da einmal lesen wahrscheinlich nicht genug sein wird.
- Margherita NeriReviewed in the Netherlands on 30 July 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Great book!
- Ashok KrishnaReviewed in India on 21 June 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review – milk and honey, Rupi Kaur
‘the very thought of you
has my legs spread apart
like an easel with a canvas
begging for art’
When a female friend of mine shared this poem with me, I winced. Receiving stuff of sensual nature is by itself something that I am not quite comfortable with, but here is this poem, sent to me by a female friend. What both aggravated and doused my uncomfortable feeling was my getting to know that the author of this poem was a woman herself. Reading through the lines again I understood that her words exude not just eroticism but a sense of deep esotericism as well. Her words emanate from the longing, a deep pain, searing loneliness and flowing love – all things that I myself can relate with and connect soulfully too.
Immediately I ordered for the book online. From the moment I received the book in my hand and opened it, to the moment I closed it this morning, it was one hell of a ride through the dark corners of my heart. Dealing with lust, longing, love, pain of betrayal, self-love, letting go, hurt, healing, feminism and acceptance, this is a book that every introvert, every aching heart and every one that still believes in that quaint concept called ‘love’ must read.
Her words are the magical runes that any heart capable of love would respond to. They touch the raw nerves of our inner-selves, bringing to light all those unhealed wounds of the heart that we have learnt to live with, stir up all those dark passions that we keep buried deep beneath the hypocritical facades of politeness and public perceptions about ourselves. With her, you don’t get to feel the servile yearnings of a Kamala Das or the aggression of a Taslima Nasrin shelling out satires about the grapes gone sour. Here is a woman who feels love and writes about it, as deeply and as passionately as a Pablo Neruda or as a Kahlil Gibran also can. She loves, she yearns, she crumbles, she weeps about the loss, but she also picks up her pieces and puts them back together, but this time only more firmly.
Here is a real feminist that doesn’t talk about her body and her desires with a feigned sense of supremacy or acrimonious misandry. There is no vulgarity when she writes about her lust. You feel no revulsion when she talks about the inner functions of female body. She doesn’t preach promiscuity in the name of freedom. She takes pride in what she is. She doesn’t accede to the preset conventions of feminine beauty. She doesn’t pay obeisance to patriarchy. Here is a poetess we can all fall in love with, not just for her words, but for all that she is – her fears, her pains, her strengths, her weaknesses, her courage, for her being the person that she is. Each poem here is a colorful thread, seeing which you will be able to perceive a beautiful tapestry - that is her adorable personality!
This is a book that will leave you craving for more – like a perfect session of passionate love-making!
- Saeed H.S AlmarriReviewed in the United Arab Emirates on 20 January 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Good
-
LylianaReviewed in Mexico on 25 July 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy puntual en los tiempos de entrega!
Excelente libro!
No venía con alguna cubierta de plástico, pero estaba en excelentes condiciones