Hour of the Ox

“Hour of the Ox is a timeless collection written by a poet of exceptional talent and grace, a voice as tough as it is tender. Poignant and beautifully composed, these elegies hum with emotional potency and moved me beyond measure. This immigrant story emerges through the hands, mouths, hearts, mournings, and voices of a family an ocean away and is exquisite, lyrical, and an incredible and rare gift.” —Crystal Ann Williams, judge; “A striking and rare combination of spare precision and rich details, Hour of the Ox tells a quiet, yet grand and universal tale of place and displacement, loss and renewal, illusion and disillusion. This is one of the most compelling books of poetry I’ve read in years, not simply because of its seamless craft, but more so because of its pure and urgent voice possessed by that ineffable quality that makes poetry, poetry.”—Richard Blanco, Presidential Inaugural Poet, author of Looking for The Gulf Motel; “Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello’s powerful debut introduces us to a world where the modern elegy sings across ocean and bone, and where it’s possible ""storms fanned from the ears of elephants."" This magnificent book is ""not a love song, nor a glossary of despair,"" but rather wholly enchanting and original, bearing the beauties and failures of the body and all of ""what the sea asks us to return.""”—Aimee Nezhukumatathil