Told entirely in verse, Lawless Spaces by Corey Ann Haydu is about a young woman who is determined to connect with the women in her maternal family line in hopes of improving her own complicated relationship with her mother. In the wake of a sexual assault case that's dominating the news, Mimi's mother seems to be isolating herself even more than usual. In hopes of understanding what's going on, she starts writing poetry and reading the journals the women in her family used to chronicle the highs and lows of their fascinating lives.