This is the Mask: A Book Blog

Thank you NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the ARC of Whitney Hanson’s newest poetry collection The Love of My Life.

So many poems in Whitney Hanson’s new collection hit close to home. Sometimes I had to step away for a few minutes to center myself; at the same time, I was relieved that there was someone out there who had felt the same way I did, and who would understand me if we were ever to meet and have a chat. (Because everyone sits down with a stranger and has deep conversations about past loss and trauma, right? Stil, it’s a nice thought.)

As always, Hanson writes with deep honesty, baring her soul for all to see. She shows us her fear, her heartache, and insecurities, and in doing so she shows us how fearless and resilient she really is.

Hanson’s poems are not long descriptive odes tat transport readers to another world. Her poems are the story of a life lived, with all the messy relationships, the happy ones, the highs and lows, the joys looked-for and unexpected, and the sorrows that we all wish we could avoid. Every reader will recognize a part of themselves in this book, because Hanson writes about what it means to be human.

The Love of My Life is scheduled for publication July 7, 2026.