Piercy recalls her Jewish family: the painful relationship with her mother, and the influence of other family members. Poems on marriage burst with warmth and sensuality, as she explores the passion and fortitude of a relationship that, like the Jewish marriage canopy, has no walls, yet withstands the wind, rain, and "searing heat" of living. The same heart-stopping vividness is evident in poems that unflinchinigly tackle the injustices of the century, particularly the Holocaust.

The later part of the book takes on a contemplative tone. In the section on prayer Piercy reworks many well-known Jewish blessings, and in the final section, she traces the Jewish year, with reflections on the Sabbath and the New Year, and a cycle of Passover poems, rich with the tastes and textures of the Seder plate.

A superb collection both secularized and deeply conscious of Jewish roots.