Featuring a generous selection from four published collections of the poems of Christine Evans, this book also features her new work. Spanning two decades, the book opens with pieces from "Looking Inland. The visiting farmers in "Callers" with their "blunt, nervous hands" set the tone for the early poems, which are poignant, precise observations of the author's surroundings, a farm on the Llyn Peninsula in north Wales. Also included is the entire "Falling Back, an accomplished longer poem. It tells the story of a woman's attempts to come to terms with the death of her husband, a shepherd, in north Wales. From initial stunned grief through recovery, the slow stages of bereavement are movingly portrayed. The poems from "Cometary Phases show an increasing confidence and ambition. In pieces like "Deep Under" and "Fodder," the poet starts with externals and then moves deeper, using the landscape as metaphor for emotional or spiritual states. Selections from the "Island of Dark Horses focus on the mysterious island of Bardsey off the coast of Llyn, whose history and inhabitants inspire Evans to a series of reflections, culminating in the long celebratory title poem.
