“Jean Eng is an intrepid poet who captures arresting images, and distills the essence in crystalline form. Animal spirits, ancestral voices, and cultural motifs appear at will in Festival of All Souls, enervating the quotidian like the waves of Lake Ontario, and the joy of learning a new language.”
–Carol Barbour, author of Infrangible

“The Festival of All Souls is a delicately crafted debut collection. Jean Eng uses words with the finesse of a fencer, catching the reader unawares. A streetcar ride in the presence of a fruit fly, pivots “(w)ithout warning” to love, resilience, and “the gaudy tenderness of orange// seats.” The Festival of All Souls navigates life’s terrain with clarity, tenderness and a wry, piercing humour. There is not one false note.”
–Mary Lou Soutar-Hynes, author of Any Waking Morning

“Accomplished visual artist Jean Eng’s first full-length collection of poetry, Festival of All Souls, synthesizes her Asian heritage, love of nature, and splashes of surreal imagery with remarkable skill. Her title poem closes with, “the bird understands/ perfect Cantonese”–a whimsical example of how Eng animates her poetic landscape. The reader encounters ghosts, birds, flowers, childhood memories, old loves, and even a feminist inversion of Madame Butterfly (“Lady Dragonfly”) calling for the protagonist to “Become a martial artist instead” and “Practice throwing the poison stars.” This sort of mystical alchemy and dry sense of humour infuses Eng’s work, showcasing a thoroughly original voice.”
–Myna Wallin, author of Anatomy of an Injury