Lane is allusive, intricate, and technically ranging, while the abiding impulses of her work remain spirituously generous and affirmative. Few contemporary poets have her command of tone, able to shift from intense intellectual attention to private joy, from the ironical to the lyrical.

This is poetry both demanding and magnanimous. Reckonings is a very substantial collection which certainly enhances her reputation as one of Canada's finest writers and brings her work to the wider audience she deserves.