This collection is an anthology of Derricote's self-selected writings--with some new poems as well. And though these poems are all very personal, there are some sections that just didn't feel like they "fit"--the styles are different, the formats are different, obviously her age and life experiences were different at the time of writing. That said, they are very good.

The themes here vary: her childhood with her abusive father, mother, and favorite aunt; knowing her father as an adult; losing her parents; her husband and their relationship; life after her husband's death; poetry; life as a black woman who can "pass" (accidentally or on purpose), and what that has meant for her, her mother, and other relatives who have either chosen to or chosen not to.

This book was a finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry in 2019. Derricotte was the only poet of the finalists that I had heard of--though I could not tell you what I had read by her. Possibly selection in an anthology or other collection. I do want to read one of her books that has a more cohesive theme or style, based on the strength of these poems. ( )