What do you think?
Rate this book
Mystic Orchards
Mystic Orchards is a collection of spellbinding poems and hybrid pieces. Exploring cultural heritage and identity, the shared pain and joy of family, art, reality, memory, and true love; these pages confront a dream. Visiting the orchards is a journey from the darkness of fear toward hope, from total stillness back into the tumult of life.
98 pages, Paperback
Published September 22, 2023
About the author
Jonathan Koven
6 books17 followersJonathan Koven grew up on Long Island, NY. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife Delana and their two cats Peanut Butter and Keebler. He works as a technical writer, and reads poetry manuscripts for Moonstone Arts. A Pushcart Prize nominee, Jonathan has both fiction and poetry published — by Assure Press, Animal Heart Press, 300 Days of Sun, and more. He is the author of the poetry chapbook Palm Lines (2020), the award-winning fiction novella Below Torrential Hill (2021), the poetry collection Mystic Orchards (2023), and co-author of the fiction novel Spark Bird (2024).
His most current list of publications can be found here:
https://linktr.ee/jonathankoven
His most current list of publications can be found here:
https://linktr.ee/jonathankoven
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 7, 2023
Jonathan Koven’s Mystic Orchards is an expansive pastoral of light and love, with poems that feel like actual places one can walk through—or if readers wish, can extend their stay and lounge around in them. Reading these pieces is like picnicking with your favorite people in—quite literally—a mystic orchard, where the breeze carries “a clear message in the calm” to sit with and learn from. With lush sounds and wonderous wordplay, Mystic Orchards is a place readers will want to visit time and again. This concise collection comes at the perfect time to offer its fresh perspective on finding joy in survival, because if “we all deserve this beautiful drift,” then the world surely deserves this bountifully invigorating book.
April 11, 2024
Poetry is a very personal thing for me. For a long time it felt like a school exercise, but over the past few years I have been trying to read more widely and have discovered lots of different poets since picking them poetry collections up again a few years ago.
But where to start? Well, you could go for one of the recognised classic collections, or you could explore the more modern collections, such as Mystic Orchards by Jonathan Koven. This is a very personal collection with a mix of poetry styles and short prose pieces that tease out his cultural heritage and the joy and pain of families, love, art and his idenity.
The lyrical prose felt like I was reading a series of dreams and it felt very personal, almost intimate. Even though I didn’t understand the context of some of the poems in this collection, they often resonated because of his choice of words and his openness in the subjects covered.
Some of the lines are particularly beautiful, these were some that stood out:
of wish maker gone
to the water a wanderer turned water strider
To draw maps of light
As it reaches this rock
Outside
Bonded
inside,
fragments left
for a new self.
I liked the variety of forms in the collection, short poems, longer stanza’s and short prose work really well with his chosen subjects. Family is a bit subject, but I also liked that themes from natural world permeated lots of the poems, wolves, fireflies, elms and rivers all get a mention as you read the collection. Overall I though that this was a thoroughly enjoyable collection.
Three Favourite Poems
Future Is Older Than The Past
Ineffable
Reason On The Horizon
But where to start? Well, you could go for one of the recognised classic collections, or you could explore the more modern collections, such as Mystic Orchards by Jonathan Koven. This is a very personal collection with a mix of poetry styles and short prose pieces that tease out his cultural heritage and the joy and pain of families, love, art and his idenity.
The lyrical prose felt like I was reading a series of dreams and it felt very personal, almost intimate. Even though I didn’t understand the context of some of the poems in this collection, they often resonated because of his choice of words and his openness in the subjects covered.
Some of the lines are particularly beautiful, these were some that stood out:
of wish maker gone
to the water a wanderer turned water strider
To draw maps of light
As it reaches this rock
Outside
Bonded
inside,
fragments left
for a new self.
I liked the variety of forms in the collection, short poems, longer stanza’s and short prose work really well with his chosen subjects. Family is a bit subject, but I also liked that themes from natural world permeated lots of the poems, wolves, fireflies, elms and rivers all get a mention as you read the collection. Overall I though that this was a thoroughly enjoyable collection.
Three Favourite Poems
Future Is Older Than The Past
Ineffable
Reason On The Horizon
October 7, 2023
Such a beautiful collection of poetry! As someone who doesn’t usually read a lot of poetry, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! So many of the poems hit home as the author really explores family values, traumas, and relationships. The love poems are exceptionally beautiful! Another great work by the author!!
December 7, 2023
I loved this collection of poetry! Themes of family, heritage, and love woven together in beautifully written poems. The stunning cover is only surpassed by the heartfelt writing inside. I so enjoyed this and strongly encourage others to check it out!
October 7, 2023
May be biased, but this one is straight fire 🔥 !!!
January 16, 2024
A wonderful and heartfelt collection of poetry, perfect for a wintery, snowy day. I particularly enjoyed the poems tied to family and relationships.
October 18, 2023
Mystic Orchards, the sophomore poetry collection of Jonathan Koven, is a beautifully written and complex piece of art.
Koven’s craft is exquisite, and his talent for poetry is undeniable. Every poem is written with the most gorgeously complex language, making this collection a must read for fans of the genre.
Koven includes many different poems of various formats and styles, making the reading experience dynamic and utterly enjoyable. Readers will love tracking the motifs and themes woven throughout the collection, all of the poems coming together beautifully.
The poems in this collection are so complex and stunning that I would have to reread this entire collection to get the most out of the poems and truly appreciate it to the highest extent. There is so much to get out of this collection, which will leave readers thinking about what they have read long after finishing. I highly recommend reading Mystic Orchards!
4.75 Rounded Up!
Thank you so much to R&R Book Tours for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Koven’s craft is exquisite, and his talent for poetry is undeniable. Every poem is written with the most gorgeously complex language, making this collection a must read for fans of the genre.
Koven includes many different poems of various formats and styles, making the reading experience dynamic and utterly enjoyable. Readers will love tracking the motifs and themes woven throughout the collection, all of the poems coming together beautifully.
The poems in this collection are so complex and stunning that I would have to reread this entire collection to get the most out of the poems and truly appreciate it to the highest extent. There is so much to get out of this collection, which will leave readers thinking about what they have read long after finishing. I highly recommend reading Mystic Orchards!
4.75 Rounded Up!
Thank you so much to R&R Book Tours for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!
October 18, 2023
The cover photo of the book is gorgeous and the title of the book intrigued me into reading it. I really enjoyed reading it while drinking a cup of coffee.
Еnter thе world оf pоetry аnd mаgic with Mystic Orсhаrds by Jonаthаn Кoven. This collection оf poеms will tаke yоu on а journey thrоugh thе reаlms оf myth аnd wonder, where аnything is pоssible. Кoven's poеms аre rich in imаgery аnd emotion, blending pоetry аnd prоse in а seаmless wаy. Hе invites yоu tо еxplorе his visiоn оf а mysticаl orchаrd, where yоu will еncountеr drаgons, fаiries, gods, аnd mоre. Mystic Orсhаrds is а book thаt will enchаnt аnd insрire yоu frоm thе first pаge tо thе lаst.
The book is a short and entertaining read which you can finish reading in one sitting. I will definitely recommend this book to people who love reading poetry based on myths and magic. Grab your copy today and you will definitely enjoy it.
Еnter thе world оf pоetry аnd mаgic with Mystic Orсhаrds by Jonаthаn Кoven. This collection оf poеms will tаke yоu on а journey thrоugh thе reаlms оf myth аnd wonder, where аnything is pоssible. Кoven's poеms аre rich in imаgery аnd emotion, blending pоetry аnd prоse in а seаmless wаy. Hе invites yоu tо еxplorе his visiоn оf а mysticаl orchаrd, where yоu will еncountеr drаgons, fаiries, gods, аnd mоre. Mystic Orсhаrds is а book thаt will enchаnt аnd insрire yоu frоm thе first pаge tо thе lаst.
The book is a short and entertaining read which you can finish reading in one sitting. I will definitely recommend this book to people who love reading poetry based on myths and magic. Grab your copy today and you will definitely enjoy it.
October 17, 2023
Creating a mesmerizing experience for the poetry readers. “Mystic Orchards" by Jonathan Koven is a collection of poems that effortlessly transports us into a realm of mythical wonders.
Koven's unique style captivates from the very first page, as his words dance between the boundaries of myth and mystery. Each poem delves deep into the realm of imagination, weaving together vivid imagery and lyrical beauty. The author's ability to seamlessly transition between poetry and ethereal prose adds a layer of enchantment to the collection.
Koven's unique style captivates from the very first page, as his words dance between the boundaries of myth and mystery. Each poem delves deep into the realm of imagination, weaving together vivid imagery and lyrical beauty. The author's ability to seamlessly transition between poetry and ethereal prose adds a layer of enchantment to the collection.
October 20, 2023
Take in a slow deep breath and immerse yourself in this stunning collection of poetry and prose. Immediately, the cover pulled me into a world I was more than happy to escape to.
With a mix of various styles, the writing is beautiful and dynamic. Koven explores identity, family trauma and joy, and relationships exquisitely. Each page reminded me to take a moment and listen; to myself and the hope around me.
I have not read much poetry in recent years and my love for it has been reinvigorated. Reading his gorgeous and complex poems transported this reader into a magical place.
Thank you Jonathan Koven for the beautiful physical copy and RR Book Tours for letting me be a part of this tour.
With a mix of various styles, the writing is beautiful and dynamic. Koven explores identity, family trauma and joy, and relationships exquisitely. Each page reminded me to take a moment and listen; to myself and the hope around me.
I have not read much poetry in recent years and my love for it has been reinvigorated. Reading his gorgeous and complex poems transported this reader into a magical place.
Thank you Jonathan Koven for the beautiful physical copy and RR Book Tours for letting me be a part of this tour.
April 9, 2024
A Mystic Orchard whose word trees bear the most exquisite and ripe fruits. A crop that explores the berries of family, the hips of trauma, the drupes of love and relationships, dripping with juice and sweetness.
And so Jonathan Koven’s collection of poems has the poetry hungry salivating until the last page when the willing reader will sit back, utter a sigh, completely satiated.
The poems are lyrical, pastoral, ethereal. The language and ideas are elaborate and reading aloud is, in my opinion, essential. (But then I think ALL poetry should be read aloud!)
The collection is cohesive as themes and images recur. There are some prose pieces alongside the poetry which just seem to fit perfectly amongst the verse. There is a complexity to the expression of ideas which set the reader contemplating the fabric of life.
You get a sense of someone entrusting you with their deepest, innermost thoughts and feelings which gives the collection an intimacy that is immersive. I also had the sense that each piece is so very carefully and lovingly crafted and I was reminded of Sylvia Plath.
As I read I compiled a collection of my favourite lines and expressions ;
‘……….silence will take
The shape of an old slow morning….’
‘Spread me wide
With this brand of summer.’
‘….unfurl as a poem
No one reads….’
‘We wear November….’
‘having waited to understand charm in the sorrow
Of waiting…..’
‘millennium of moments…’
‘….sonnets of patience….’
‘Childhood a jewel.’
‘…….hideous blanket of ineloquence.’
If I had to state my favourite poems I think I would choose Insomnia Wish, Our Talisman and I Read a Name in the Sun but that’s always a tricky business, narrowing them down! I think I would like to take this book to a secluded area of natural beauty and read the poems aloud to the birds and the butterflies, perhaps the flowers and trees, maybe an orchard even!
Thank you to Isabelle Kenyon of Fly on the Wall Press and to the poet himself for a signed copy.
And so Jonathan Koven’s collection of poems has the poetry hungry salivating until the last page when the willing reader will sit back, utter a sigh, completely satiated.
The poems are lyrical, pastoral, ethereal. The language and ideas are elaborate and reading aloud is, in my opinion, essential. (But then I think ALL poetry should be read aloud!)
The collection is cohesive as themes and images recur. There are some prose pieces alongside the poetry which just seem to fit perfectly amongst the verse. There is a complexity to the expression of ideas which set the reader contemplating the fabric of life.
You get a sense of someone entrusting you with their deepest, innermost thoughts and feelings which gives the collection an intimacy that is immersive. I also had the sense that each piece is so very carefully and lovingly crafted and I was reminded of Sylvia Plath.
As I read I compiled a collection of my favourite lines and expressions ;
‘……….silence will take
The shape of an old slow morning….’
‘Spread me wide
With this brand of summer.’
‘….unfurl as a poem
No one reads….’
‘We wear November….’
‘having waited to understand charm in the sorrow
Of waiting…..’
‘millennium of moments…’
‘….sonnets of patience….’
‘Childhood a jewel.’
‘…….hideous blanket of ineloquence.’
If I had to state my favourite poems I think I would choose Insomnia Wish, Our Talisman and I Read a Name in the Sun but that’s always a tricky business, narrowing them down! I think I would like to take this book to a secluded area of natural beauty and read the poems aloud to the birds and the butterflies, perhaps the flowers and trees, maybe an orchard even!
Thank you to Isabelle Kenyon of Fly on the Wall Press and to the poet himself for a signed copy.
August 26, 2024
“This is for whoever cores the poison apple, reeling
Seeds for a newborn forest, and for whoever waits
To clench, at those aged canopies,
God in the mist at dawn”
From the very first note, rapture, a fissure opening in my chest, as everything stills, and a lump, deep in my throat, begins to unfurl. This is something special. I’m here now, to absorb it, take what wants to come in, and for this moment, nothing else matters.
As this poet scatters images, words, a stream of not consciousness necessarily but feelings, (a sort of word art) that together weaves the most beautiful, unsettling, hopeful, and mysterious threads connecting us all - to love, to rebirth, to death, and most of all, to our substance, to nature, to things that are bigger than us all, and not at all understood (or at least, not rationally).
And here they are, collected in this volume. Not to be read with a rational mind, but to be absorbed. Poems, fragments and small narratives, all of them letting visceral images crowd in, as they tumble, unfolding, rushing out unchecked, in all their sensorial evocations, released through the conduit of this masterful poet.
Kids running wild in the bramble of their freedom; parents, childhood and youth; love beginning and its unbearably tenuous hold, everlasting in our memories; aging, we are always, aging; time rushing over us — past, present and future; the sky, the blue (thematically often, the blue), the starlight, the concrete beneath us.
Favorites I must call out include:
Ineffable; For the Child in Love; Unburied; and Years between.
“Poetry
A channel to gratitude, or a strange blue veil over death;
For you, follower of raindrops
To window corners, seeing in them a memory, sunlight,
Laughter, earth,
Body;
This small volume is to be cherished. I know this reader, for one, will let its strange and haunting fragments wash over days and nights that search for something more, again and again.
A great big thank you to the poet Jonathan Koven for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
Seeds for a newborn forest, and for whoever waits
To clench, at those aged canopies,
God in the mist at dawn”
From the very first note, rapture, a fissure opening in my chest, as everything stills, and a lump, deep in my throat, begins to unfurl. This is something special. I’m here now, to absorb it, take what wants to come in, and for this moment, nothing else matters.
As this poet scatters images, words, a stream of not consciousness necessarily but feelings, (a sort of word art) that together weaves the most beautiful, unsettling, hopeful, and mysterious threads connecting us all - to love, to rebirth, to death, and most of all, to our substance, to nature, to things that are bigger than us all, and not at all understood (or at least, not rationally).
And here they are, collected in this volume. Not to be read with a rational mind, but to be absorbed. Poems, fragments and small narratives, all of them letting visceral images crowd in, as they tumble, unfolding, rushing out unchecked, in all their sensorial evocations, released through the conduit of this masterful poet.
Kids running wild in the bramble of their freedom; parents, childhood and youth; love beginning and its unbearably tenuous hold, everlasting in our memories; aging, we are always, aging; time rushing over us — past, present and future; the sky, the blue (thematically often, the blue), the starlight, the concrete beneath us.
Favorites I must call out include:
Ineffable; For the Child in Love; Unburied; and Years between.
“Poetry
A channel to gratitude, or a strange blue veil over death;
For you, follower of raindrops
To window corners, seeing in them a memory, sunlight,
Laughter, earth,
Body;
This small volume is to be cherished. I know this reader, for one, will let its strange and haunting fragments wash over days and nights that search for something more, again and again.
A great big thank you to the poet Jonathan Koven for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
April 8, 2024
Mystic Orchards
Poems
By Jonathan Koven
I always find poetry is a very personal thing, especially to the author!
The writer puts their heart, soul, emotions, and experiences into the words that they place on the page.
As readers, we can't help but be affected by those words in many different ways depending on our own life experiences!
Sometimes, we can relate, and sometimes we can not, but often, there are elements that trigger a response.
There is a lovely flow throughout this book, and you feel like you are on a journey of prose and complex descriptions, we travel through five sections...
Spirit of Growth
A Dark Horizon
Sylvan Memory
Deepest Blue
Awoken in a field of light
Some of the poems feel like short stories where others feel like dance movements across the page.
The poem that spoke to me most was...
My Dad Laughs
A beautiful poem that moves from present to past through emotion and feeling of strength and happiness through memory of love. ✨️
Thank you to @kenyonauthorservices and @jonathankoven for having me as part of your blog tour and for my gifted copy of the book.
The cover is absolutely stunning, too! 😍
Poems
By Jonathan Koven
I always find poetry is a very personal thing, especially to the author!
The writer puts their heart, soul, emotions, and experiences into the words that they place on the page.
As readers, we can't help but be affected by those words in many different ways depending on our own life experiences!
Sometimes, we can relate, and sometimes we can not, but often, there are elements that trigger a response.
There is a lovely flow throughout this book, and you feel like you are on a journey of prose and complex descriptions, we travel through five sections...
Spirit of Growth
A Dark Horizon
Sylvan Memory
Deepest Blue
Awoken in a field of light
Some of the poems feel like short stories where others feel like dance movements across the page.
The poem that spoke to me most was...
My Dad Laughs
A beautiful poem that moves from present to past through emotion and feeling of strength and happiness through memory of love. ✨️
Thank you to @kenyonauthorservices and @jonathankoven for having me as part of your blog tour and for my gifted copy of the book.
The cover is absolutely stunning, too! 😍
August 6, 2024
Jonathan Koven’s Mystic Orchards is full of lush and palpable language, meant to be read aloud and savored. This hybrid collection weaves poetry into prose, and its form mirrors the unbound answers to the questions Koven poses: What happens at light’s end, at life’s end? Who do we meet there, and who could we become? And is it possible to rewind it all back to a beginning? Throughout, Koven meditates on love as both memorial and omnipresent, including both our embodied and metaphysical connections to the span of experience, from the macrocosm of nature to expertly distilled moments in his own hometown and poignant childhood memories. Each piece in Mystic Orchards is part of a larger conversation that invokes a sense of wonder. Koven ultimately suggests that the answers to all of our questions lie in listening: to the echo of self, to the love in our lives, which are both, in their own ways, infinite.
October 15, 2023
An evocative and heartfelt collection of poems, this collection of poems will transport you into a beautiful world. There's just something wonderful and almost soothing about the poems and where they take you. I can't quite describe it, it's truly something you need to experience yourself. I picked this up when I was feeling stressed, and breezed through cover to cover easily. By the end I was much more relaxed, and felt ready to face the day again. If you need a break from the hustle and bustle of your busy life, or a change of pace from the hum drum of the daily grind, then dip your toes into this amazing set of poems that will whisk you away to another time and place.
April 11, 2024
I was gifted a copy of this book as part of a blog tour, and I’m so glad I was!
This is such an evocative collection, immersing you in imagery that streams from the pages. The writing is so beautiful, creating a mesmerising picture, while also focusing on some heavy topics which stay with you long after reading. Life, death, nature, family and childhood are just some of the themes tackled in this collection, and all are steeped in poetic language which brings magic to every stanza.
Incredibly heartfelt and infused with wonder. I loved this collection so much 💖
This is such an evocative collection, immersing you in imagery that streams from the pages. The writing is so beautiful, creating a mesmerising picture, while also focusing on some heavy topics which stay with you long after reading. Life, death, nature, family and childhood are just some of the themes tackled in this collection, and all are steeped in poetic language which brings magic to every stanza.
Incredibly heartfelt and infused with wonder. I loved this collection so much 💖
October 19, 2023
Poetry is a genre that I could read every day, there's just something about it that really has me grasping at every poem. Jonathan Koven's poetry is a beautiful collection that is wonderfully written. There are different formats and styles of poetry that pull you in and keep reading fun. Each poem is beautifully crafted and is a complex work but I so enjoyed reading them! Readers will find themselves on a journey through each piece and not wanting it to end.
October 20, 2023
It’s full of emotions and has amazing poems that are easy to imagine. Each one has a deep meaning. It’s written with such aspiration and love. I can sense a part of the author in his writing.
The one I felt for was The White Wolf Dreams. So close, yet so far. This one was my favorite but at the same it gave me hope for the wolf.
I enjoyed reading what Jonathan has created for us and him giving us a piece of his understanding. It gives a sense of life
The one I felt for was The White Wolf Dreams. So close, yet so far. This one was my favorite but at the same it gave me hope for the wolf.
I enjoyed reading what Jonathan has created for us and him giving us a piece of his understanding. It gives a sense of life
October 20, 2023
This was a very beautiful collection of prose.
It’s difficult to rate this form of writing just because it’s more of a subjective enjoyment. I would personally give this
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The cover is absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you so much to @jonathankoven & @rrbooktours for this gifted copy.
It’s difficult to rate this form of writing just because it’s more of a subjective enjoyment. I would personally give this
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The cover is absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you so much to @jonathankoven & @rrbooktours for this gifted copy.
January 11, 2024
A collection of poems that will spark a cathartic flood of emotion. An often solemn yet warmly nostalgic glimpse into the childhood of an author
October 17, 2023
Book tour Review ✨
This was such beautiful poetry and of course a gorgeous cover. I enjoyed picturing the stories as I went along.
Poetry is music for the eyes, it can have all kinds of beats to it but we make the rhythm up in our head and enjoy the lovely sound.
This was such beautiful poetry and of course a gorgeous cover. I enjoyed picturing the stories as I went along.
Poetry is music for the eyes, it can have all kinds of beats to it but we make the rhythm up in our head and enjoy the lovely sound.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews