There is no doubt Kumin knows New England and knows it well. Her poetry reflects the deep woods and country living that is so typical of life in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Her style of writing is plain and straightforward, without complicated phrasings or over the top descriptors. Every line is a perfect image as clear as day. Reading Kumin's poetry is a breath of fresh air literally and figuratively. Nearly everything she writes about the reader is able to relate to. For example, if you are a dog owner and your beloved pooch has ever tackled with a skunk then you know how impossible it is to get ride of the smell. Kumin writes, after many attempts to clean her dog, "skunk is still plain as a train announcement" (p 4). Exactly. ( )