"If 'we are nothing more than heirloom seeds / falling into the dirt and blooming, ' then Blessed Are the Peacemakers forces us to consider which birds of hell and paradise fly from the soil of family and nation. The speakers of Janae's magnificent garden merge memories and insights with the death, deception, and desire we often lack the courage to face. The wonder of this arresting collection is how in reckoning with legacies of violence, estrangement, and love we 'learn, just a little, about peace.'" –Ama Codjoe, author of Bluest Nude