Clouds Books

Rold Simms was a weather expert doing simple experiments on the planet of Caljunna. His sister, Vivian Tyler, dropped by for a visit. Immediately they were used to begin a war between Scientist and Industrialist factions. They escaped with the help of Blikki and Yosana, safari runners from a wilderness planet named Salkinia. Rold and Tyler were being used because their father was Malcolm Simms, highest on the Committee.

Ambassador Meacon and his daughter, Rachel, along with Ruth Poundstone (also on the Committee) were out to kill Rold and Tyler to convince Malcolm of the need for war. But the civil war of the Commonwealth could be affected by the information Rold harbors, if only he could deliver it.

Add Living Clouds to the Salkinia defense and huge Zeniam (ape-like) warriors to Poundstone's attacking force and you have the makings of the ultimate battle!

**** This one had excitement from the beginning! Lots of terrific strategies and fascinating cultures and a touch of romance that combine to make an excellent sci-fi story. I only wish more attention had been given to the Living Clouds! ****

Rold Simms was a weather expert doing simple experiments on the planet of Caljunna. His sister, Vivian Tyler, dropped by for a visit. Immediately they were used to begin a war between Scientist and Industrialist factions. They escaped with the help of Blikki and Yosana, safari runners from a wilderness planet named Salkinia. Rold and Tyler were being used because their father was Malcolm Simms, highest on the Committee.

Ambassador Meacon and his daughter, Rachel, along with Ruth Poundstone (also on the Committee) were out to kill Rold and Tyler to convince Malcolm of the need for war. But the civil war of the Commonwealth could be affected by the information Rold harbors, if only he could deliver it.

Add Living Clouds to the Salkinia defense and huge Zeniam (ape-like) warriors to Poundstone's attacking force and you have the makings of the ultimate battle!

*** This one had excitement from the beginning! Lots of terrific strategies and fascinating cultures and a touch of romance that combine to make an excellent sci-fi story. I only wish more attention had been given to the Living Clouds! ***

What a crazy ride! Very enjoyable on several levels. The philosophical, political, and social underpinnings make the plot very rich and intriguing, while the exotic and imaginative aliens and their artifacts keep surprising you. And yet the characters are the real meat of the book. Rold and his sister Tyler exemplify their aristocratic upbringing and yet are like two sides of a coin. Each bravely battle along separate paths on the frontier planet of Salkinia, the home of the Living Clouds. The mystery of the last cloud rider sparks Rold as well as the reader. Intelligent, with depth, and yet still fun to read. I couldn't put it down.

Lynne's beautiful illustrations follow the text of the story and provide the visual 'melody' to accompany the words. Her book is not startling to children and yet conveys a powerful concept- that there are different ways to parent and there are different ways we perceive and exist in this world. I share it with friends. More, more, more please from this author!

Child's guide to why the real world is not as grand as life with the politically correct yuppie wannabes. Not as good as her first book. This book pushes a politically correct agenda.

"Clouds for Dinner" is a magical book for children, written and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins. The story revolves around a little girl named Janet, who lives in beautiful rustic isolation. Janet's house is at the top of a tall hill that can only be reached by climbing up a long, eighty-seven step path.Janet's mother and father put the house there because that¹s where the "view" is. The "view" necessitates an arduous daily climb, the payoff of which is "a small triangle of Lake Opagwah" in the distance, along with a never ending vista of ever changing cloud shapes. However, any time they come home from anywhere they have to trudge up the 87 steps. Mom and Dad tell Janet that it keeps them young, to which Janet replies "I already am young." Because, you see, Janet is a kid, and kids don't always appreciate the "finer" things in life. Janet wishes she could live in a normal house like her Aunt Peppy, whose house is in a neighborhood, and on ground level. When she visits her Aunt Peppy for the weekend she has lots of fun, in the fast lane of suburban life. There's a TV room, car and dog washing, basketball in the driveway with cousins, school soccer games to attend, and organized, sit-down family meals. "I wish I lived with you all the time," Janet tells Aunt Peppy, who is always, well....peppy. At Janet's house, dinner time is not always easy to recognize. "It was clear enough when they all sat down at the table together. But some days they would be eating apples and bits of cheese and muffins, and by and by nobody was hungry anymore. And that was dinner." But when Janet wakes up early one morning at Aunt Peppy's and beholds the magical transformation of the dawn, Aunt Peppy is at a loss to understand. Instead, the soccer mom rushes the family out the door in a good natured, organized bustle of activity. Lucy returns home to her former life, happy once again to be sitting around the table with her mom, dad and little brother, Harry. As the moon shines on distant Lake Opagwah, this other "family unit" basks in the glow of a late night, ad-hoc meal together. As she looks around at the smiling faces Janet realizes that "anyone could tell that this was dinner." I love this book, because I too live in a house which does not run like a well-oiled machine. Sometimes the beds don't get made right away, and, I must admit, sometimes mealtimes can be more functional than social. But we try, and in our own ways, we make our families. Sometimes I envy those other families, but mostly I really just don't believe their PR. "Clouds for Dinner" does not go out of its way to criticize Aunt Peppy's life style, but to make way for a kinder, gentler alternative life style. It is a book that doesn't talk down or preach to its audience. Above all "Clouds for Dinner" is an honest book, full of the ambiguities which make up the rich texture of family life as it is really lived, full of love and acceptance. I can tell you it appeals as much to me as to my own six year old daughter. The pictures are richly rendered, and support the story well. In one scene Janet sits at Aunt Peppy's immaculate breakfast table, surveying a rich choice of melon balls and hot-cross buns, and other labor intensive accoutrements. Everybody is already dressed, clean and fresh, and even the wallpaper suggests the efficiency of a well run theme restaurant. They seem to like it. The scenes at Janet's house are more mellow, more exterior, and full of the variety of clouds. Even the indoor scenes point to outdoor beauty, all the while emphasizing the tightly knit family inside. Each of the rich watercolors is full of an appreciation of nature, and is full of the gentle delicacy of the book's theme: Janet lives in a radiant world, and by the end of the book she begins to appreciate it

THE COLOR OF CLOUDS by Rita D. Woods is a classic and historical work of fiction set during the Jim Crow era. The text is original and is a very detailed account of the struggles and sacrifices many black people had to make during the early 1900's.

The storyline centers on Jack Seabody and his coming of age in South Carolina, surrounded by segregation and lynching amidst his family who owns acres of land. Because blacks could not own land during that time, they had to resort to getting a trusted white man or family to own it on paper.

After experiencing his first ride in an airplane, Jack develops a strong desire for flying and is offered an opportunity to work as an assistant and learn to fly by a white pilot from Chicago. Unfortunately, he is forced to make the decision and trip quickly after helping his sister fight off a white neighbor attacking them. Later, this man is found dead and Jack is accused of his murder. He is swished away from his home and sent to Chicago to meet up with the pilot.

After his arrival in Chicago, Jack works hard and eventually becomes a successful stunt pilot. Being light in color, Jack passes for white. In doing so, he is afforded the opportunity to go places people of color cannot. Jack is able to stay in rooming houses and travel the city without notice until his race is revealed by a cunning mistress of the pilot.

When Jack meets up with his uncle in Chicago, he is forced to confront several family issues and secrets along with some serious decision making. He is introduced to Saffron, a black journalist, and they soon develop a romantic relationship. Saffron is an activist who is out to write about the positive accomplishments of the black race, and wants to include Jack in her writings. Jack, on the other hand, wants to avoid any detection of his race so that he can continue to make money and travel anywhere. Saffron forces Jack to make a decision on their relationship and his racial identity. Will Jack continue with the charade or will he allow his love for Saffron to help make the right decision?

Ms. Woods does an excellent job intertwining the historic backdrop of the Jim Crow era and the decisions many black people were forced to make in order to stay alive. THE COLOR OF CLOUDS brings forth intense emotion, yet a wonderful fictional storyline that was unfortunately a way of life.

Reviewed by Kalaani
Of The RAWSISTA Reviewers

Born African-American near the turn of the century,we are introduced to Jack in his youth. Escaping on the wings of a dream, Jack arrives in Chicago and, seen as white, embarks on a life he could never achieve,were his true roots known. An excellent portrayal of a person's life shaped by circumstance and the choices he makes. Long after turning the last page, Jack and the people he encounters, will live in your mind...and your heart. I strongly recommend this book.

Life has a way of taking you along for the ride and there are so many factors that influence how bumpy that ride will be. e.g. : age, color, gender. This book explores how an African-Amercian boy, born in the south at the dawn of the 20th century and looking white, has things in his life he can choose and things he can't. It's a story of how those choices shape the man he becomes and the dreams he pursues.

The Deepest Spiritual Life details the importance of both personal and community spiritual and religious practice. Composed of Quinn's personal experiences, stories, and thoughts interlaced with responses compiled from numerous interviews. Interviewees came from a variety of main-stream faiths, including: Episcopal, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, United Methodist, Science of Mind, nondenominational Christian, Quaker, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Buddhist, and Hindu faith traditions.

Written in an easy, accessible style, Quinn presents her experience and understanding of things in a very forthright manner, and allows comments of others to do the same, without judgement; be it condemnation or praise, she simply shares.

Quinn differentiates between religious and spiritual practice in a way that, at first, seemed a bit odd to me, as I'm generally used to hearing the distinction expressed in terms of group and solitary practice, respectively in neo-pagan circles.

The importance of religious practice in a community setting is explained intelligently: "Religious practice provides us with community, and by participating in community, we have the opportunity to be in relationship with others pursuing the same bath, transcending the isolation that is so much a factor in every day life...When we develop relationships with others, we experience what it means to be connected to others, and we provide the connectedness that others need too." (pg. 21-22)

She examines the importance of religious and spiritual stories, which she notes, aids us in our realization that we are not alone in struggling, in understanding our purpose in life, and our journey. She revisits old stories with a fresh perspective and marks the importance of relating them to events in our own lives, reworking them into a useable form, to help us understand that others have come before, walking the same difficult path.

A variety of spiritual practices are discussed from charity, to ritual, meditation, fasting meditative walking, retreats, singing, dance, journaling (a form of automatic writing, asking questions, and receiving automatic responses from God). Much excellent advice is offered regarding teachers. Indeed, there is a whole chapter dedicated to the subject, as well as advice as to what to look for regarding a religious tradition. Also, a detailed chapter on servitude, and while I don't agree with everything she says, I can appreciate her sincere dedication and honest enjoyment in her work.

The book details many convincing arguments for incorporating both personal and community practice into one's religious and spiritual life. Quinn often expresses her deep rooted admiration for tradition and its age, which is perhaps why she has neglected to consult officials from any non-mainstream religious and spiritual traditions, though this book will be welcomed by anyone looking for more in their spiritual and religious practice, and those seeking to deepen and enrich their understanding of what it means to lead a spiritual life.

As a practioner of a spiritual path, and a seeker of a peaceful, balanced, harmonious and more reconciled way to live my life, I found "The Deepest Spiritual Life" not only a very practical guide to what is involved in seeking direction to a spiritual path, but how to sort out the many options available to finding and selecting a personally suitable spiritual practice. It is an astute handbook on just what the ingredients are that are needed to pursue, find, and be willing to align with a path and practice of deep personal commitment.

Susan Quinn so ably presents a hands-on understanding of what being of service to oneself and to a community really encompasses, what questions are involved in finding a legitimate teacher/spiritual leader, how learning to trust not only the teacher, the spiritual pursuit, but most importantly, how necessary it is to trust oneself in the matter.

This book puts forward the full breadth of difficulties and epiphanies associated with taking on the journey towards making real our sense of spiritual accord, and what it means to live with equanimity in the midst of our everyday trials, frustrations, joys and sorrows. This book is written by a wise woman and a seasoned practitioner.

As a spiritual counselor I have found that many people feel torn between devoting their time to personal practice and participating actively in a religious institution. Independence vs. affiliation. Inner communion vs. interactive community. Susan Quinn shows why both threads are necessary components of a complete spiritual life. And, knowing that there is no one-size-fits-all paths to the Divine, she draws on a wide range of resources to help seekers of all kinds find effective practices and suitable companions. Whether you are new to the path or a savvy veteran, you'll find something of value in this book.

This is a nice book. My son is still too young for it (4 yr old). But He can read it in couple of years.

This is a nice book to read aloud to those in the range of 4-8 years, and could be read by a 2nd-grader. The book does a good job explaining the water cycle, condensation, evaporation, the formation of clouds, hail, etc. It's easy to understand and enjoyable to read. The illustrations are wonderful also. There are practical illustrations and activity suggestions, like putting a teaspoon of water on a plate to evaporate, boiling water on the stove, or filling a glass of water with ice to away condensation.

I'd recommend this as a good book on the topic for anyone with preschoolers or early elementary age children; it's a nice addition to our homeschooling library. My only gripe is that it's mentioned that water vapor in clouds can turn into rain and into hail, but there's not even a passing mention of snowflakes.

Down Comes The Rain is an excellent book that introduces to young children the formation of rain and where it actually comes from. It also discusses the transformation of water into ice and also the evaporation of water. Children can understand the book through its simple terms and colorful illustrations. Rain is just one of the many things that young children often wonder about. It is a very good book that can be added to any elementary classroom when discussing a unit on weather or simply to have at home to read togther on rainy days! Many hands-on activities, such as putting a teaspoon of water into a saucer and coming back to see that it has evaporated into the air, can be done by using this book. I have added this book to my list that I plan to use in the classroom!

While I am enjoying the story, especially as a relatively recent transplant to the twin cities area, I was a little taken aback by the self-congratulatory nature of the acknowledgements noted at the beginning of the book. The author makes a very pointed reference to his spelling of the word damnedest, and his efforts to spell it correctly, I am disappointed with his lack of diligence on spelling another work correctly; specifically, on page 229 of End Game, when referring to the yolk of an egg, and the word is erroneously spelled yoke. Unfortunately, this is all too common in books today since it appears that editing relies more on computerized "spell-check" features rather than humans who have the ability to spot flaws in the usage of homonyms.

I don't normally read murder mysteries. However, this one definitly is a page turner. It helped that I live in the Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN area and am personally aquainted with the auther. The story is fast moving, the layout is very readable--sort of double spaced. That's a nice touch. I highly recommend the book.

End Game is a non-stop thriller. It has all the essentials of good fiction. An intricate plot, great charcters, lots of action all combine to create a book that you can't put down.

"Lake Superior Gold" is a recommended read for anyone who is interested in prospecting. Clear writing explains to the reader everything they wanted to know about finding GOLD, especially on the Great Lakes. Good for any aged reader! Also, the picture of the author shows you he is a true prospector.

Any amateur looking to get started in the field of prospecting. It doesn't tell them where to look but more how to look. Coming from a family of gold prospecters. His dad, John N. Dwyer who wrote Summer gold. This book is great for anyone who wants to learn how to prospect, or anyone looking for a great book

This book isn't really specific as to the locations of gold in the Lake Superior area, but rather allows the reader to explore the area and hopefully find gold. It's a short book that can be read in a few hours and will at least enlighten you on the geology and small-time prospecting of gold.

Mage of Clouds in the second novel in the Cloudmages series, following Holder of Lightning. In the previous volume, First Holder Jenna Aoire and the Inishlanders faced the combined clochs of the Tuatha at Dun Kiil. The Creneach came and fought with the Inish, some ripping the gates open. As the Inish stormed through the gates, Tuatha holders focused on Jenna and hammered her until she was cowering on her knees. She fell back into the Lamh Shabhala and it allowed her to absorb the energy of the clochs being used against her. She forced a settlement upon the Tuatha and Inish alike, but Padraic Mac Ard would not accept defeat and forced Jenna to slay him.

After withdrawal of the Tuatha forces, Jenna married Kyle MacEagan and was chosen as Banrion of Inish Thuaidh. She met her baby brother Doyle for the first time on the tiny isle of Inishduan while returning the body of Padraic Mac Ard to her mother Maeve. Prior to his death, Mac Ard had legitimized the child and left him an estate. Jenna saw her mother for the last time as Maeve lit off the funeral byre.

In this novel, nearly two decades later, Doyle comes to Dun Kiil Keep to notify Jenna of their mother's death and to warn her that the Tuatha will be coming again. Doyle also tells her that he considers Lamh Shabhala to be his inheritance from his father and that he will be attacking persons near to her if she doesn't voluntarily yield it to him. After he departs, Jenna sends her daughter Meriel to the Order of Inishfeirm for training and to protect her from Doyle and others in the Order of Gabair.

Meriel reacts badly to the news that she is being sent to Inishfeirm and tries to run away with her boyfriend, but is frustrated by Mundy Kirwan, the current Maister of the Order of Inishfeirm. He conducts Meriel back to the island and settles her into the life of an acolyte of the Order. Meriel soon finds her smooth hands becoming rough with the menial labor that is part of such a life.

Meriel has only recently discovered the delight of male companionship. She writes daily letters to her boyfriend, but his one and only reply is terse enough to show his loss of interest. Thady MacCoughlin, a third year student with the Order, shows her around and invites her to slip out for a drink or two at the village tavern. Owaine Geraghty. a Brathair of the Order, seems to show up everywhere she goes. However, the Saimhoir Dhegli, a changeling and possessor of the Salmon of power, is the man/seal that interests her the most.

In this story, Doyle leads an attack on the Order of Inishfeirm and kidnaps Meriel, carrying her off to captivity. Dhegli sees the attack in a vision but arrives too late to avert it. However, he offers to take Owaine to the point where the Meriel was taken ashore and Owaine immediately accepts the offer, for he holds a clochmion that finds things. If he can get close enough, Owaine can follow Meriel and free her. Owaine climbs into a currach with only his clothes and his cloch and is towed over the sea by Dhegli.

This story is a tale of vengeance and greed, fed by old wrongs and slights that cause even more death and destruction. However, one new element has been added to the familiar pattern: Treorai's Heart. This new clochmion was once the life source of the Creneach Treorai. It had been given to Jenna by Treorai himself at the battle of Dun Kiil and the loss of the heartstone caused to the Creneach to collapse into a pile of rock and boulders.

In the hands of Meriel, Treorai's Heart is a healing stone. It has the power to knit broken bones, destroy infections, grow new flesh and mend deranged minds. However, although it can heal others, the cloch cannot heal Meriel herself.

Highly recommended for Farrell fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magic in an ancient celtic milieu.

Jenna's enemies still lurk and are planning the abduction of Jenna's precious daughter Meriel by her Uncle Doyle, whose vow to do no harm to his half-sister ended when their mom died.

Meriel's uncle is obsessed with obtaining the Lamh Shabbala stone that channels all magic. If it means the death of his niece and anyone else so that he gains full power, so be it as he believes he was the one not Jenna who should have been the First Holder. Jenna is stunned as she loves her daughter but fears the price of acceding to the demands of her sibling as there are no guarantees that Meriel will live or that the peace will hold. She also worries about those loyal to her for she remembers what happened to her beloved.

The second book in the "Cloudmages" series, MAGE OF CLOUDS, is a tremendous fantasy due to the dilemma confronting the heroine of the first book. Though the story line focuses much on Meriel's plight, Jenna is the key ingredient as she struggles between the bigger good and her own micro need; either way someone will be hurt by her decision. Meriel is a solid character while her uncle is delightfully villainous. Fans of the first book, the author (in his variety of writing aliases), and fantasy aficionados will greatly value this powerful book that ignores the middle syndrome with a powerful plot and deep cast.

Harriet Klausner

The major problem that I had with this book is that Jenna's daughter Meriel, whose point of view makes up a majority of the book, parallels way too close to her mother. She rejects her future, runs around getting into misadventures, falls in love with a guy she isn't attracted to in the beginning, gets into battle, and then her title gets elevated. Sure, there are enough differences for the author to get away with this I guess, but the predictability just ruined it for me.

On the plus side, the action did keep me reading. Maybe there was a little part of me that thought I wouldn't be able to figure out what happened, but halfway through the book I realized that wasn't going to happen, and at that point I had to finish reading anyway. I got even more frustrated when Farrel turned Jenna into a flat character, putting all his effort into Jenna (which was pointless, considering they're very much alike). I just spent 500 pages in the previous book getting to know Jenna, and now she's just, well, blegh. Very disappointed.

The last few chapters are quick-moving considering the amount of action. However, I wouldn't say they were engrossing; they kept my interest up enough to turn the page. All in all I was pretty disappointed in this second book. Holder of Lightning wasn't superb, but I had wanted to continue reading the series. Unfortunately, it was just way too similar to the previous one for me to give a good rating, and I felt there was a lot of room for improvement.

This is by far the best book I've ever read about Emery Roth. So good!

In the impersonal concrete and glass caverns of New York City, one can still find survivors of a more gracious, yet jazz-age modern, era. Mansions in the Clouds introduces readers to the career and major buildings of architect Emory Roth. His residential hotels and apartment buildings graced the New York skyline with impressive profiles while retaining human scale and classical detailing. The exterior renderings, interior photographs, floor plans, and descriptive detail assist the reader in recapturing and appreciating the genius of Emory Roth. Tea at the Ritz has become an impossible dream, but the Beresford, San Remo, and other Roth-designed buildings remain as inspirations for any of today's architects who are eager to appropriate these masterpieces of the past and express them in a contemporary idiom. Most of all, the book is an indulgence for all of us who daydream of our own manison in the clouds.

Ruttenbaum's book on Emery Roth (1871-1948) is a biography as well as a survey of the buildings he designed. The author successfully explains Roth's role in creating high-rise hotels and apartment buildings that combined attractive exteriors with more efficient, more livable interiors than had been the case before Roth. Architects like Wright, Pei, and LeCorbusier may be better known, but their buildings were designed as works of art, not buildings to be lived in. In contrast, Roth's buildings combined functionality and attractiveness. As Ruttenbaum walks us through Roth's career, we see how he gradually fine-tuned his ability to craft functional floor plans. Roth's works include such New York landmarks as the Beresford, Warwick, San Remo, St. Moritz, Ritz Tower, and hundreds of others.

Two small quibbles regarding this book: Why did Ruttenbaum omit the Hotel Dixie (now Hotel Carter), which was noteworthy for having a long-distance bus station in its basement, complete with turntable? And why did the author use the last chapter to fawn uncritically over the works of Emery Roth's sons, who, lacking their father's aesthetic sense, have produced buildings comprising the worst of 60s-era architecture? Ruttenbaum's book includes a multitude of photos, averaging roughly one per page, as well as 25 floor plans.

J.W. Marshall has been around poetry all his life, and has worked a job in a poetry bookstore just to be around it more. The sum of all his experiences is here in his debut anthology of poetry "Meaning a Cloud". Witty, brilliant, yet tokenly somber at times, Marshall's poetry comes to life on each page with vivid, colorful imagery sure to jerk at reader's emotions. "Meaning a Cloud" is highly recommended for community library poetry collections and anyone who wants warm poetry. My Confusion: I confused a steam/with life. And I confused leaves/oiling along on it/with lives. And the lake/it muscled into/I confused with a hospital's/shimmering glass doors. There was quiet/ and muffled non-quiet./And I was confused/with where exactly it was/I was going/when I heard that ambulance/moving like a mechanical leaf/through traffic.

J.W. Marshall's 'Meaning a Cloud' is one of the most impressive poetry debuts I've come across in some time. The subject matter is frequently hard -- injury, hospitalization, illness, death. But the poet serves as our Virgil through this gloomy landscape and his presence is constantly reassuring, as he pierces the moody fog with beams of humor or fresh perception. The long sequence "Taken With" is particularly successful; I am especially moved by section 25 of this poem, which begins: "I am beyond tired because / my mother / slipped off. / The slow theory that /
she would vanish has / come to fact. / Now she is dead all the time."
And it gets even better from there. This is fresh, moving and memorable writing about the hard facts of human existence. I'm already looking forward to Marshall's next work -- and to reading this one again.

From the first stanza ("There was this hospital / that came into my life / at the end of an ambulance"), John Marshall's Meaning a Cloud entices the reader into the extraordinarily careful world of illness and recovery, using language that feels "plain" but that expresses extreme states of perception and being. I was astonished by the wit and humor in these poems--there is such a tender balance here between gravity, honesty, and comedy in so many of them, including "Television in Hospital," which concludes: "sure you can touch my toes / which gives you I guess / a certain meaning but / must you visit while / my show's on." Longer, darker, surreal poems like "Sadness Therapy" are punctuated by small studies such as "April": "Reading while walking / a fist of cherry blossoms / punished her." The arc of Meaning a Cloud takes the reader through poems exploring hospitalization and re-introduction to world "outside," poems about the effort to ground oneself in daily life and love, and then through a series of numbered poems re-visiting illness, mortality, creativity, and carrying on, through reflections on the speaker's mother's stroke and death. In these last poems the sense of humor persists, but I was literally brought to tears by poems like #22, about a man at the rest home who repeatedly asks the speaker "Was that man I saw a while ago over there my mother?" "I said no again like I was a visiting academic." After returning to clean out his mother's empty room following her death, the speaker wonders: "And what if I had said I'm your mother and still love you?" The tone of the book is calm, direct, frank, and wry. The craftsmanship of each individual poem is remarkably fresh--I found myself particularly surprised and charmed by the way Marshall breaks lines throughout the book, and by the sense of cadence and rhyme in the final section. These poems demand space in the reader's head, and I often found myself smiling and resting the book in my lap for several minutes between them.