This is a book about growing into the person you’re supposed to be. It’s got heartbreaking moments of inner realization and compelling juxtapositions—primary between her atheist brother and her own God-loving self. Will You Still Love Me If I Love Her? starts with the speaker coming to terms with her sexuality and then shifts to the struggle she has while her family comes to terms with it. This is a powerful collection because it grounds these experiences and allows us an unobscured view into what it means to come out.
All these words,
let them weigh on your head
until they sink through bone and
slither from your mouth as easy
as your daughter’s name.
The world is changing, Father.
And it will not wait for you.
— From “Traction”
The poems get to the root of acceptance, and how there are certain things in this world that cannot be changed. Do not resist these realities, because that would only bring sorrow. Elfie gives us a look at the daily struggle that can be experienced when fighting against these natures, and in the end, shows us the relief that comes with the recognition of our own personal truths.
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