Collections of poems can be dipped into at any point, but there is something to be said for reading them through as a  sequence.  These poems, in particular, map a topography of life with cancer whose surprises and challenges emerge in recurrent references to suffering that is rarely made explicit, but shades the scenes of family life, teaching, and solitude the poems record.  They are gentle, reflective, spiritually evocative and often surprise the reader in lines that linger.  It is a valuable collection for those going through similar journeys of decision and reflection, and for anyone accompanying a person with cancer.