Book Review: Joy Chose You by Donna Ashworth

Today, I want us to talk a little about poetry. How this creative practise cannot just entertain but open us up to new and familiar perspectives. Your last connection with Poetry may have been at school, analysing the themes, intentions and writing techniques of people long gone. But poetry is so much more than that. Today, I’ll be talking about the power of poetry for personal development and sharing a review of, Donna Ashworth’s “Joy Choose You”.*

Poetry isn’t just restricted to the classroom or the dusty corners of academia. It’s an artform that shows up in every area of life you can imagine. They are political, criticising or defending social issues of today (which then become part of the historical poetry). They are used as an artform to support our emotions, from grief to building resilience to stress management. Poetry is what we read to our children, bringing them comedy through funny alliteration or similes, or it can help us connect with what we cannot find the words to say.

It even pops up at work. Beyond slogans from the marketing department, poetry has been used in research, from helping understand leadership to helping workers have a voice.

But it’s not just me that says so, in true Clara style, here are some interesting research papers that show:

 

• Reading (anything) can reduce stress. For as little as six minutes a day.
• Poetry can help improve cognitive function. This was shown in a 2015 study with stroke
• It can help the children around us manage and understand challenging emotions and may give adults a tool to communicate these too.

 

So, this month, I am encouraging you to bring some poetry into your world (if you haven’t already), as the skills it can build are useful. It can, among other things:

 

1. Build your critical thinking skills.
2. Develop your self-reflection.
3. Enable you to understand difference perspective.
4. Engage your creative thinking and expression.
5. Connect with emotional language you can’t easily access.

So, if I have convinced you, then it’s time to share a wonderful collection of poems I think you can add to, or start, your collection.

You may have come across Donna Ashworth on social media; I know I share her work regularly, so you may already know who she is!  I was very lucky to be gifted a copy of “Joy Chose You” in late 2025; the “essential collection”, words for hope, comfort and light. And doesn’t that feel like it’s needed right now?

There are 244 poems within this beautifully bound and illustrated collection, that Ashworth has “collated” from eight collections: The Right Words, I Wish I Knew, Love, Life, Loss, Wild Hope, Growing Brave, and Joy Chose You. There really is a poem for every circumstance. I’m not afraid to say I cried, sharing many, and even told my husband to bookmark some for key moments in my life in the future.

It’s a moving collection. A rollercoaster of emotions, which helps you reflect on what really matters: love, hope, connection and, of course, joy! I’ll be dipping in and out of this collection in years to come.

Like many of the books I review, this one isn’t going to be shared with “Clara Cliff Notes.” The creative expression of poetry is personal; so rather than me share why you must read this book, I’ve shared my reasons for why more poetry needs to be brought into your life.

I’m planning to build up my poetry to-read list! What would you recommend?

 

Did you find this interesting? You may enjoy my other book reviews .

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