The U.S. poet laureate's memoir reverberates with language that reads like English, but seems to come from a world Harjo has created for herself. And that may very well be the case; Harjo's story of her life brims with hardship and heartaches, yet it never ekes a moment of pity. She frames her memoir with cardinal directions and prose that explains what they represent to the earth, to people, to herself. Her lyrical storytelling invites you in while she illustrates ancestral trauma, abuse, familial strain, trusting in oneself, and creativity. She imbues something spiritual as well and relays visions of possible futures and evokes emotion rather than clinical or straightforward descriptions. She is in her own league and it's a beauty to witness.