HISTORIC HOUSES – A Visitor’s Guide to New Zealand Settlers’ Houses
Linda Burgess Random House $45
In the world of books and writing in New Zealand the multi-talented Linda Burgess is everywhere. The author of short and long fiction, non-fiction particularly travel writing, and television scriptwriting; she also teaches creative writing, and reviews books for Radio New Zealand and television for The Dominion newspaper. She regularly visits schools as part of the Writers in Schools programme, is a wife and mother and grandmother, and amongst all of this busy life last year also managed to be a Montana New Zealand Book Awards judge with all that that entails. Phew!
Linda Burgess Random House $45
In the world of books and writing in New Zealand the multi-talented Linda Burgess is everywhere. The author of short and long fiction, non-fiction particularly travel writing, and television scriptwriting; she also teaches creative writing, and reviews books for Radio New Zealand and television for The Dominion newspaper. She regularly visits schools as part of the Writers in Schools programme, is a wife and mother and grandmother, and amongst all of this busy life last year also managed to be a Montana New Zealand Book Awards judge with all that that entails. Phew!
This month has seen the publication of her latest work, a quite beautiful, well-researched and most appealing guide to 65 historic houses spread throughout the country. The homes, all visited by Linda and her husband Robert, (who took the many gorgeous colour photographs that are a feature of the book), were mainly built in the nineteenth century and they range from tiny cottages to large country mansions. 
In her interesting introduction to her book the author explains how she came to write the book as well as writing warmly about our early settlers.
A fine book which makes me want to pack a bag and jump in the car taking off for a few months travelling the country visiting these special houses along the way. Burgess made one of the criteria for including the properties that they had to be “available to the public in some way, either as house museums, bed-and-breakfasts, fabulous lodges or even just open once a year for charity”.
In her interesting introduction to her book the author explains how she came to write the book as well as writing warmly about our early settlers.
A fine book which makes me want to pack a bag and jump in the car taking off for a few months travelling the country visiting these special houses along the way. Burgess made one of the criteria for including the properties that they had to be “available to the public in some way, either as house museums, bed-and-breakfasts, fabulous lodges or even just open once a year for charity”.
Goodness knows where Burgess will pop up next, or what her next book will be, but I suspect it will be a long time before she produces another book as handsome and entertaining as this one. And what great value at $45. Bravo.
The indefatigable Linda Burgess.
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