In the Quiet

Advance Praise for In the Quiet:

“Much like her stunning collections The Mundane & Nostalgia, Melissa Elder's In the Quiet captures the breathtaking beauty of the ordinary moment. With spare language and luminous lines, these poems explore love and longing while reminding us that nothing here is permanent, which is exactly why it's sacred. Each poem arrives like a postcard from a place you want to travel back to—vivid and inviting, delivering more feeling than the page can accommodate.”

–LIZ ALTERMAN bestselling author of psychological thriller The Perfect Neighborhood, You’ll BeSorry, and Different Type of Poison

“A tender invitation to bear witness to life, and love. It’s all poetry, indeed.” –KATE OLIVER author of Modern Caravan

“In her new astounding collection, Elder contemplates the human experience in all its juxtaposition splendor: the bittersweet realities of motherhood, our pull to live to the fullest while also yearning for the simplicities of a quieter life, our desire and capacity for love despite the inescapable flipside of grief. Poignant, tender, and hopeful even at its darkest, In the Quiet lingers long after its last breath and proves Elder is a star on the rise with an unforgettable, singular voice.”

–LEE KELLY bestselling author of City of Savages, co-author of The Midnight Show, With Regrets, and Starlets

“Melissa Elder’s third collection traverses the map of one woman’s life, from small details—ladybugs, window streaks, a neighbor’s lamp in the night—to larger themes of friendship, motherhood, marriage, faith, and community. Candid, even conversational, these poems invite the reader to observe, grieve, and celebrate the “delicate mess” of midlife. In the Quiet reflects with generosity on what it means to live attentively in a complicated world.”

–EMILY PATTERSON author of The Birth of Undoing