Unearthing Ida

Unearthing Ida is a story of a complicated life–and a complicated family–told in poems so visceral and tender, they sting. Rose M. Smith has one of finest ears in poetry, and in this new book, different speakers reveal pieces of Ida’s story, with different perspectives, voices, rhythms, and dictions. A poem written from the perspective of Ida’s brother Albie describes her: Ida was an A. Like A sharp. Like a slant chord thrown in at the right place, to change possibilities. Unearthing Ida is not only a beautiful tribute but a possibility-changing achievement.

–Maggie Smith, author of Good Bones