Shirley Bell has changed from a young mother into a grandmother over the course of this collection. She had two stillbirths which profoundly affect her early writing. Her father’s death when she was 13, her mother’s recent decline into dementia and death and her husband’s struggle with stroke, a heart bypass and Parkinson’s also enter the book. But alongside this, there is profound love for her husband, children and grandchildren.

The poems speak about the power of landscape, storytelling, myth and the darker side of fairy tales, along with current issues. She has a strong spiritual sense which is expressed in her religious poems.

Because her writing echoes the experiences of many others, readers will identify with the work and find solace. There are many other poems which intrigue and entertain, and all the poems are strong, vivid and rich in imagery and description.