DOLL GOD

Winner of the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award

In Doll God, award-winning poet Luanne Castle invites readers into a haunting and beautifully imagined world where dolls become vessels of memory, nature speaks with quiet wisdom, and ordinary objects reveal extraordinary spiritual truths.

Blending mythology, folklore, family history, dreams, wildlife, and art, these poems travel through landscapes both physical and emotional. A Japanese doll, a hummingbird, a palo verde tree, forgotten keepsakes, ghosts, lakes, birds, and the desert become companions in an exploration of identity, love, grief, healing, and transformation.

With luminous imagery and remarkable emotional depth, Castle examines the delicate boundary between the natural world and the worlds we create through memory and imagination. Each poem uncovers traces of what has been lost while offering hope that restoration is always possible.

Winner of the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award and expanded with a selection of new poems, Doll God is an unforgettable collection that rewards slow reading and deep reflection. Rich in symbolism and lyrical beauty, it speaks to readers who appreciate literary poetry that explores spirituality, nature, resilience, and the enduring search for meaning.

Doll God is a collection that lingers long after the final page, reminding us that even what seems lost may still be waiting to be found.