In poems of tender loveliness and sharp observation, Jennifer Markell explores human families, their failures, flaws, humanity-and the rhythms of nature. We meet a delightful catbird, and a toad, and other creatures. There's mystery here, as in the crystal doorknob washed up on the beach, and confession, as in poems such as "Larceny" and "Some Things I Stole as a Child." The weight of war cannot be ignored, and it appears in this collection. Markell doesn't shy away from brutal realities, yet there is great heart and unexpected beauty in these poems.