The Book of Marys and Glaciers by Carrie Olivia Adams contains landscapes of solitude and welcomes their wisdom. This is a collection that embraces introspection and probes barren places from the first line forward: “I kept thinking about the body in the basement.” Divided into three parts, "Blockchain," "The Book of Marys and Glaciers," and "Dust Cover," the book explores a different terrain in each. “Blockchain” centers itself in the body and darkness: "My silence makes its own cave." The second section, "The Book of Marys and Glaciers," opens in a museum and the observation that Mary is always depicted with people: Jesus, wise men, angels. There's a contrast between society's expectations of women as mothers, hosts, disciples, and woman without those attachments: "When she comes to me, I am always alone. A woman alone is entirely herself." The final section, "Dust Cover," turns to the desert, a place where people throughout history have gone in pursuit of spiritual awakenings. This is a book to re-read and revisit to fully appreciate its insight, wit, and craft.
