In this short collection of poetry, Yoon contemplates life, death, nature, race/racism, love, and the purpose of writing. While at times her poetry confronts difficult truths, readers are left with a sense of hope. The final poem, “Next Lives,” has me thinking about the future. About endings. About how we don’t really know what comes next. That’s the beauty of this collection. The poems are rooted in Yoon’s personal experiences, and there’s a call to appreciate the world and call out its injustices. I see myself reading this again and again (I’ve already read it twice) and using it in my classroom. I’m looking forward to reading more of Yoon’s work!
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.