At the core of this wide-ranging collection of poems is the notion of the Scots as a community of 'stravaigers' or wanderers within as well as beyond Scotland's borders. Liz Niven draws on a variety of resources - the history of the Scots, her personal roots and the contemporary landscape - and moves outward, through various foreign cultures and many moods, to view the world through distinctly Scottish eyes.
She often adopts a feminist perspective, sometimes with incisively satirical intent. In 'A Drunk Wumman Sittin oan a Thistle', her monologue brings new meaning to MacDiarmid's seminal poem as well as providing immense, self-effacing entertainment on the plight of contemporary Scots women. Elsewhere, Niven offers stunning lyrical verse or longer narrative poetry, always beautifully crafted and with lasting resonance.