'Never read a verse novel? Here's a beauty. The world Helen Swain creates rings true from the very first page, as she explores the complexities of a carer's life with brevity, honesty, and wry wit. Helen brilliantly evokes the tensions between an ageing mother and a daughter who wants to care for her When the time comes. This book is an act of profound respect for carers and their hard-won knowledge and experience. You won't want to put it down, even if your tea's getting cold and the dog's whining for a walk.' - Dr Gina Mercer, poet and editor

'Elegiac and devastating, this poetry collection reimagines how we survive and care alongside family loyalties, death and dementia. Helen Swain is a poet of our unfathomable futures who mingles love and legacy with shot rabbits and disposable sheets to offer us an original and searing pastoral requiem.' - Dr Katrina Schlunke, Adjunct Associate Professor, Sydney University