Claire Dyer Libros

Claire Dyer's accomplished third collection of poetry charts the journey, from a mother's perspective, of the transition of her younger child from boy to girl.

On the night Odie May and her married lover are due to celebrate him leaving his wife, Odie goes out to buy a bottle of his favourite wine and, on her way home, is murdered by a woman in a lime green coat.

Paddington station, nine a.m., rush hour. As the crowds ebb and flow, time suddenly stands still for two people: Fern and Elliott, ex-lovers who parted twenty-five years before and never expected to see each other again. But here they are, face to face, and the connection is as powerful as it was the day they first met. Their lives have moved on - to marriage, children and divorce - yet neither has stopped regretting the day that drove them apart. Fern gives Elliott her number and they tentatively arrange to meet again that evening when both will be travelling back through the station. And, as the day ticks on, and the memories resurface, both Fern and Elliott reflect on the past. As their emotions go round in circles, so does the Paddington clock, counting down the minutes to eight p.m. - and the moment the future is in their hands.

In The Adjustments, Claire Dyer's fourth collection with Two Rivers Press, the poet explores the vagaries of time and experience. As a narrative in reverse, her book scrutinises the fine tunings of life - from what's expected to what happens - and the associated search for equilibrium in a world that's constantly changing.