"Another delight to come my way was Red Ledger, the latest collection of poems by Newfoundland's Mary Dalton. It's sensuous, surprisingly lively at times, and sometimes very wonderfully dark; the emotions revealed in these poems taste like atmosphere. Salt, for example, is a recurring metaphor for desire and for the dizzying parade of images that make up the much-loved places ("St. John's as well as "round the bay") where the poet lives. These are clear, mature poems by a poet who has been quietly practising her vocation for years while the world somersaults by somewhere offshore." -Jane Urquhart in the Globe and Mail's Books of the Year feature for 2006

"An assurance, a distinctive completeness, reminiscent of songs or tales honed for generations in the popular imagination." -E.J. Pratt Poetry Award jury

"Make no mistake, these poems are beautifully made." -Globe and Mail

"Folksy, feisty, and possessing a rough irreverence." -Books in Canada

"The stresses are so strong it's like eating a sumptuous hearty meal with most every fifteen-liner. The aftereffects are then pensive and satisfying. I'm in awe, and envious, of Dalton's tone, here: she's captured an incredible synthesis of sorrow and insouciance." -Brian Palmu