Juhan Liiv's reputation in Estonia is on par with that of Lorca in Spain and T.S. Eliot in America. Born on the shore of Lake Peipus in 1864 to a poor peasant family, the natural environment of his birthplace is soulfully and intimately conveyed through a unique lyrical style. Laura Neil has captured both the form and distinctive movement of Liiv's verse in a way lacking in any previous translation of his work.