Like the yellow, pink, and blue irises that had been transplanted from house to house over the years, the stories of poet Ted Kooser's family had been handed down until, as his mother lay ill and dying, he felt an urgency to write them down. With a poet's eye for detail, Kooser captures the beauty of the landscape and the vibrancy of his mother's Iowa family in precise, evocative language.

The stories of poet Kooser's family had been handed down orally until, as his mother lay ill and dying, he felt an urgency to write them down. With a poet's eye for detail, the author captures the beauty of the landscape and the vibrancy of his mother's Iowa family.