The cardinal and the crow, the love and the loss.
Molly Myriah
Cardinal or Crow is a poignant and intimate collection of poetry chronicling a decade of personal transformation. Through vivid, lyrical verse, the author explores the emotional terrain of profound grief and quiet heartbreak as she navigates the sudden loss of her mother and the gradual unraveling of her marriage.
Cardinal or Crow has been honored with the Bronze Award from the Feathered Quill Book Awards 2026.
Order Now
Awards
- Literary Titan Gold Book Award 2026 — Poetry
- Feathered Quill Book Awards 2026 — Bronze Award — Poetry
- Reviewed by Kirkus Reviews
Order Now
Love indie bookstores? So do we. Bookshop.org is our preferred place to order. Supporting independent bookstores matters. Whenever possible, please consider purchasing through Bookshop.org — every sale supports indie booksellers across the country
Bookstores: Cardinal or Crow is available through Ingram. For inquiries, contact mollymyriah@gmail.com.
Reviews and Praise
“ A reflective poetry collection about loss, resilience, and healing.”— Kirkus Reviews
“ I never felt preached at. I felt invited.”— Literary Titan
“ A touching collections of poems that explore love, loss, and grief in such beautiful detail.”— Reader Views
About the book
This collection doesn't shy away from sorrow-it embraces it alongside joy, growth, and resilience. Each poem marks a step in the author's journey back to herself, celebrating the raw, messy beauty of being alive. With a voice that is both vulnerable and unflinchingly honest, Cardinal or Crow is a testament to the human spirit's capacity to endure, to evolve, and to find light even in the darkest of seasons.
About the author
Molly Myriah is a poet from coastal Virginia, born in Columbus, Georgia. She is a single parent to three teenagers, 10 years sober, and the author of Cardinal or Crow (Ballast Books, 2025), which received the Literary Titan Gold Book Award, the Feathered Quill Bronze Prize for Poetry, and was reviewed by Kirkus Reviews. Her work explores single motherhood, grief, Appalachian memory, inherited trauma, and what we carry forward. In her spare time, you can find Molly at the beach or in the woods with her kids and two misbehaving doggies.