How does one stretch a memory wide enough to cover up a life?

What She Wants is a poignant collection by Kim Dower, the author of I Wore This Dress Today for You, Mom and Sunbathing on Tyrone Power's Grave. Recipient of the Gold Medal in Poetry from Independent Publisher Books Awards and an Eric Offer Book Award Finalist, she explores the intersection of love, obsession and desire in this fascinating collection.
Her ability to capture the human experiences of love, loneliness and infatuation with words is commendable, and her poetry communicates the story with a sharp, lyrical cadence. The poems are demarcated by four phases of Limerance— Infatuation, Crystallization, Deterioration, and Ecstatic Release; each offering a unique glimpse at the numerous errors, regrets and joys of the heart. I quite enjoyed this collection and am thankful to Netgalley and Red Hen Press for the ARC.
3.5/5

Beautiful but a bit too much self dwelling for my taste. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an interesting collection! Definitely had me sitting there and thinking deeply. Kim Dower in What She Wants has a distinctive voice that you cling to.

Kim Dower, you wrote the most beautifully written story I have read in a very long time! it was wonderful! Loved it. Highly recommend adding this to your TBR list.

What She Wants by Kim Dower is my first experience of this author's work, and I was quickly seduced by the sharp, witty inner dialogue that comes together as a complete story. I think a reread will have me savouring this one in more condensed sections, and I'm sure that I will be every bit as enamoured. Obsessive love for someone, or even something, is a universal experience, and Ms Dower's clever observations of this particular condition will certainly resonate with the vast majority of readers. I look forward to experiencing much more of this intuitive and unique voice.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for an ARC.