Way Out West by Miles Backer

Way Out West by Miles Backer

Poems in this book take the long view. They relate a young woman's escape to American before the Holocaust, although her family, including several sisters, remains in Europe and perishes. Other poems show the long shadow of such trauma as it visits the next generation. And there are poignant poems of a husband's decline through dementia. Between these traumas, moments of joy and adventure add their own sparkle. Harriet Shenkman casts a long and thoughtful gaze through time as she considers ancestors, her own youth and adulthood, and the lives of her children. The circle of life resonates throughout this collection.