Impressive past acclaim: All three of Kiki Petrosino's previous books have received substantial critical acclaim, e.g., Witch Wife was included in The New York Times's "Best Poetry of 2017" and recommended by Tracy K. Smith on NPR; Excellent endorsements: Blurbs confirmed from Terrance Hayes, Ada Limón, and T.J. Jarrett. Important and compelling subject matter: The book examines the history of slavery and racism in the Upper South, which is extremely important and is also receiving lots of attention in our nation's political and cultural dialogue right now. Additionally, Petrosino pulls from her own genealogical research and experiences of going to school in Virginia and blends with historical research of Jefferson; Strong academic footing: Petrosino has just accepted a prestigious position of a Professor of Poetry at the University of Virginia (alongside Rita Dove); Revitalization of traditional form (double crown sonnet) alongside trending contemporary forms (erasures)