Earth's Breath is a brave undertaking. Arranged in three parts to correspond with the before, during and after of the storm, Susan Hawthorne has captured the essence of the moment and the lingering toll a natural disaster takes on those who have lived through it. Hawthorne delivers legend, fable and emotion as well as reflections on humanity, nature and science. She has interspersed her topic with delightful descriptions of tropical birds and plants.

Earth's Breath depicts a vast historical and emotional landscape through meticulous attention to detail. In this case, much of the detail reflects the poet's love of the natural world.

I have spent this morning and yesterday in the grip of Earth's Breath. I have been tossed around and torn apart by it, put back together and placated by it. I love it. The poems work on so many levels: from history to modernity, from calm to destruction, from one hemisphere to another, from bush floor to sky. Having lived many years in Kinglake and surrounds, I was very affected by the fires of 2009. Unexpectedly, I found your book relevant and moving in terms of the Black Saturday context. I guess one natural disaster speaks to another.