Susan Alliston is a person of interest for those who are fans of either Sylvia Plath or Ted Hughes, or both (as I am). She was the woman who Ted was staying with during the weekend of Sylvia's suicide, and she is featured in his recently-discovered poem "Last Letter" which describes that weekend, along with several other of his poems. She was also a poet who rarely showed her work to anyone. When she did, as Ted describes in his introduction, it was an exciting event. The poem in question was "Samurai" and it is one of my favorites in the book. Fellow Plath/Hughes fans will find in her journal entries a welcome witness into the social life of Ted Hughes, who was a good friend. If anything, the journals are probably the biggest reason to buy this book, but for me, "Samurai" was my reason.
Overall, the poems were hit-and-miss but enjoyable nevertheless. The journals provide a glimpse into the life of a woman who passed away too soon and still had much to give to the world. This was well worth purchasing, and deserves a place among your copies of Ted & Sylvia's work and their biographies.