'It is hard to hurt and then explain the hurt away / so as not to hurt anyone. But have you seen / my life?' ('Child of Lir') The lives depicted by Victoria Kennefick alter, shatter and re-combine in stunning poems and monologues: Egg/Shell explores early motherhood, miscarriage, the impact of a spouse's gender transition and the dissolution of a marriage. Acclaimed as one of the boldest, clearest poetic voices in recent years, Kennefick in her second book, follow-up to her best-selling Eat or We Both Starve, breaks new ground with characteristic generosity, emotional complexity, formal ingenuity and wit.