She

SHE, a quintet of wind-swept poems, is a compact memoir tracing the steps of a diffident child as she becomes a confident woman who simultaneously follows the rules and pushes the boundaries. She chooses a man who deals in the “uncommon currencies” of bear hugs and laughter, recalls the rumbly-tumbly of her now adult children, shoulders an array of civic duties, accepts—bewildered—widowhood. Love comes again, almost stealthily, then rooted like the trees she celebrates. The fifth poem, a prayer, leads the reader toward the future, acknowledging fear and affirming joy. Lucky reader. ~Paula Bevington, Attorney, civic and business leader, AtlantaEve Hoffman, in SHE, offers us the gift of a rich and deeply-experienced life, a woman’s life seen through the prism of the poet’s craft. In language that’s both lyrical and accessible--the direct language of the everyday lifted to the level of song, of praises--she creates a vibrant and meticulously interwoven narrative that pulls the reader along, and further along, and ever more deeply into the world and the life that this generous poet shares with us. SHE is a work of sustained beauty and creative energy, the kind of beauty and creative energy that can sustain us all.~Cecilia Woloch, Award-winning poet, Los Angeles and ParisEve Hoffman, SHE, invites us to take a journey into a life unfolding, lovingly experienced with the full range of human emotions. No road maps are needed as we move along her journey, drawn in and moved by the depth and vulnerability of her personal exploration. SHE is a celebration of a complex life shaped by events that define our generation and inform our humanness. ~Dr. Shimon Waldfogel, Psychiatrist, Philadelphia