Leaving Howe Island

In Sadiqa de Meijer’s Leaving Howe Island, poem after poem sings with an accuracy and freshness, a power and a delicacy, which leaves one breathless. In the long opening sequence, "Great Aunt Unmarried," winner of the 2012 CBC Canada Writes Poetry Prize, the poet takes us on a wistful, astute journey into the past. Musings on family, childhood and belonging unfold in a series of snapshots that astonish us with their clarity and mystery, their tranformative power.