From the earliest poem included here, written in 1925 when she was 19 years old, to poetry written just before her death in 1998 at the age of 91, this anthology spans the gamut of Catherine Cookson's life and work.

The collection draws on many themes that will be familiar to the readers of this well-loved writer: love, work, class and the beauty of nature. She also shares more personal thoughts, reflections on her own writing, marriage to her beloved Tom and life in the north of England.

The poems are characterized by her down-to-earth common sense, and the hard-won philosophy she developed for herself. In Brushed Nylon, she tackles the subject of a failed relationship while The Daily Round takes a look at working life. Slow Me Down talks of her feelings about growing old and The Joy of the Country recalls a holiday in Wales.