Pardon me, but I m shivering a bit at my core. These are restless, storm-hued stanzas, revelations of our dark cravings and hapless, woefully imperfect attempts at perfect love. Here are the dreams even our dreams won t reveal, flaunting wild edges and endings that nudge the soul, each fusing of lyric and lesson as potent as a backhand slap. And Mama watches everything. Mama sees it all. Patricia Smith

What s living without fear of getting lost? That s only one of many empowering moments in Jennifer Givhan s auspicious debut. Her blood magic ink delivers the hard truths that...