Vibrant with words

"At the forefront of modern poetry in New Zealand stands the imposing figure of Mary Ursula Bethell (1874-1945). Ursula Bethell was a prolific letter writer, one who played, through that correspondence, a rich variety of roles: dutiful daughter, loving sister, loyal friend, emerging poet, patron of young artists, counsellor and spiritual director to name just the more obvious. This volume publishes a rich collection of letters that span almost all of her life, beginning with a quiet domestic note from a seven year old to her mother, and ending with an even briefer note, dictated when she is too ill to write, just after her 70th birthday."

"To date, no full-length biography has been published; these letters (few of which have ever been published before) allow her to tell her own life story, in a narration that can be earnestly solemn or gaily witty, that records moments of joy and of sorrow, but that emerges finally as an intensely moving account of one woman's attempt to come to terms with the grief that dominated her final years. With their extensive annotations, they give us an unrivalled picture of this significant woman, and her attitudes to life and literature."--Jacket.