The Ghost in the Gears

Howard White is known to his readers as a wry chronicler of life in the bush and on the boats. But his new book of poems, The Ghost in the Gears (Harbour), reveals the heart of a true romantic beating beneath that lumpen exterior. There are plenty of poems about backhoes and stump ranchers in this new collection, of course (including "Oolachon Grease," which someone should declare B.C.'s regional anthem). But there are also several about "relationships"—to use a word White wouldn't—that are beautiful and true enough to make you wince. A delectable addition to the White corpus.