Includes bookplate signed by the author.

Baptism by blood, water, or desire is necessary for salvation in Roman Catholic tradition, and baptism of desire is the term used for the leap of trust by which a sincere believer can experience spiritual regeneration. Louise Erdrich's poems are acts of redemption. Everywhere evident is Erdrich's unique capacity for finding the perfect word, the fresh, yet absolutely right, metaphor that makes her work both profound and accessible.