
I have been a fan of Cathy Warner’s poetry for years, and Difficult Gifts is her best collection yet. From her exquisitely detailed personifications of the natural world to the laying bare of her vulnerabilities (which are also ours), to the way in which she transcends the daily by transforming it into something holy, Warner will make you laugh, cry, think, and wax nostalgic—sometimes all at the same time. Her chapter of COVID poems was a powerful reflection of our communal struggle. Her tribute (Perseids) to her sister-in-law made me cry, and the lament she wrote about her agonized vigil during her husband’s heart surgery will touch anyone who has ever feared the loss of a loved one. Warner is a natural-born storyteller, and I highly recommend this book.
–Sue Magrath, The Salvation of Poetry: A Novel
–Sue Magrath, The Salvation of Poetry: A Novel