In this new collection, Nina Berkhout skillfully illuminates quiet moments in our bustling world. Through poignant reflections on childhood, loss, and the relentless passage of time, she captures the subtle yet luminous events of the everyday. Writing about the animals and people of her neighbourhood, Berkhout introduces us to the talking toad in her garden, and her favourite late-night grocery store couple. She takes us to a restaurant for a birthday dinner, and aloft in a hot air balloon on garbage day. We follow two Dobermans to a park at sundown, guided by willows, transcending the boundaries of mortality. Sustained by icicles on the eaves, neglected violets, and the ethereal presence of departed loved ones, the poems in The Great Wake help us make sense of the sorrows and joys of ordinary life.