She Walks in Beauty has been near the top of the bestseller list for weeks, understandably so. Editor Caroline Kennedy, like Keillor, has a deep appreciation for poetry and deftly steers readers. Kennedy began compiling these poems after a momentous birthday made her think about passages and wayposts. The book is organized into milestones most American women share, such as falling in love, marriage, work, and motherhood. Kennedy introduces each section with a wonderful mix of anecdotes and reflections that are as engaging as many of the poems themselves. In the Breaking Up section, for example, Kennedy begins with a quote from her morose son 鈥� 鈥淕irlfriends are the worst鈥� 鈥� and then shifts to broader ideas about endings. The poems that follow range from 鈥淲ell, I Have Lost You,鈥� by Edna St. Vincent Millay to Gwendolyn Brooks鈥� 鈥渨hen you have forgotten Sunday: the love story.鈥� Readers will appreciate Kennedy鈥檚 ease with both familiar classics and contemporary gems.
