“Reader, what a journey you’re in for! This book tells the tales of a lifetime, traversing landscapes from childhood to grandmotherhood. ‘Let us throw away caution, / emblazon our retinas / with the flare and flame of it,’ exhorts Ruth Thompson early in the collection; then she proceeds to do just that, in poems by turns whimsical, pathetic, excruciating, exuberant and unflinching. Here, as in life, mourning and celebration often cohabitate; whether she’s praising the ‘lost otter of the body’ or exhuming family trauma, Woman with Crows will keep you enthralled.”
