Here, in Elizabeth Macklin's second collection, an only child's responses to the fait accompli of childhood-decisions already made, accidents of history and family, patterns preset-come to the adult mind in the presence of change and grief. The mind regroups as it can: "later light on the hills of houses / before us / just as they are, as versus none." "[P]oems of abrupt perception and rigorous lyricism."-New York Times Book Review "I love Elizabeth Macklin's poems."-Thomas Lux "The joy and intelligence in these poems is simply tremendous."-Tomaz Salamun, author of The Four Questions of Melancholy "Mastery as well as mystery, and we are grateful for what we've just been told."-Richard Howard "Macklin the Magician does it again!....dazzling evocations."-Marie Ponsot, author of The Bird Catcher "[A]n exceedingly wise book-and joyful, too, though the joy is never glib or easy-won..."-Bill McKibben "Elizabeth Macklin talks to me, woman to woman, poet to poet. In listening to her, I am rewarded."-Nina Cassian