About the book

Willows Wake and Walk Away is a dream sequence in the aftermath of trauma. As an unnamed speaker retraces her steps through mist-laced forests and crumbling childhood fairytales, she encounters ancient gods still alive in the faultlines of memory. These are poems of relapse and revelation, loneliness and liminality, asking: what happens after the haunting ends, when the serpent finally sleeps? What does it mean to carry the weight of a heart sloughing off its innumerable dead—and, in the absence of peace, learn to love a life wild, uncanny, and wholly one's own?

Add the book to your shelves on Goodreads
Or buy from your local independent bookstore
Or see the press kit

#willowswakeandwalkaway #haleywooning #ireadhalfmystic

(Please note that this is a preorder—you’ll receive the book in the mail or your email inbox on or before November 18, 2025. All orders over $60 come with free worldwide shipping. Use the code FREESHIP at checkout!)

Advance praise

Coming soon!

Press & reader reviews

Coming soon!

About the author

Haley Wooning is a writer and high school English teacher from the Bay Area. Her debut poetry collection is Mothmouth (Spuyten Duyvil 2019). An avid reader and puzzle lover, she also enjoys playing story-based games with her friends and community.

Reader & launch photos

Coming soon!