Lost in the Pleiades

‘Who would not want to time-travel through the night sky? This is exactly what Carmel Summers offers us in her latest book Lost in the Pleiades. This is much more than a collection of verse – it is a compilation of careful poetic research into a cluster of stars that has fascinated humanity since its first discovery. Summers takes us through the present and mythological past in a journey of awe as it we learn to read star maps and explore the mysteries of the Pleiades. There is plenty of whimsical beauty in this collection. Venus photobombs the Seven Sisters. Joanna Lumley attends a hypothetical Javanese sacred dance. Galileo writes a treatise. We revisit a childhood fairy tale. This selection of poetry is Carmel Summers’ best yet. She has a gift for choosing the most appropriate form for each poem and her writing is humorous, poignant, wildly exciting and always respectful. It’s a must for every bookcase. Lost in the Pleiades twinkles with wonder like Jane Taylor’s well known children’s poem. I’m still hankering after that Seven Sisters bracelet with Orion’s stone set in the middle!’ – Hazel Hall, Australian poet and musicologist

‘Lost in the Pleiades by Carmel Summers is a stylistically diverse and meditative poetic exploration of the seven sister jewels in the night sky. She brings a feminist perspective to historical sources and mythological tales that have woven stories around the constellation of the Pleiades. From Galileo to the Australian First Peoples, we are taken on an historical and geographic journey that is yet deeply personal and reflective of contemporary life. We are invited to look heavenward to see “those lost girls glow and glitter” and to realise that “they shine to remind us – to love”.’ – Julie Thorndyke