Chris Abani Daphne’s Lot. Red Hen (CDC, dist.) $18.95 (112p) ISBN 1-888996-62-5
Chris Abani’s DAPHNE’S LOT is an absolute tour de force! The title poem is an exceptionally poignant novella in verse, celebrating the courage and determination of the poet’s mother while charting his family’s difficult flight out of Biafra to England. Masterfully conceived and often wrenching in the harsh details of it vignettes, DAPHNE’S LOT reminds us of poetry’s essential force — and constant triumph — in giving voice to the most trying of human circumstances. Chris Abani’s new collection is a revelation and victory in every way.