The Open Accounts of an Honesty Box

by Julie Helean

Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop - $35

Published in March this title has just been reprinted which is very good news for the author and publisher.

"Things are heating up in Easy, a Central Otago town. After lobbying unsuccessfully to get their desperately needed public toilet, the women of Easy give up on council, conspiring to build it themselves. There’s civic pride at stake, never mind the strained bladders. Luckily Jinx, a visitor in a campervan, has just the right credentials to get them started.

When the town’s unofficial mayoress, Martha, traps her builder in town, she discovers that Jinx, aside from her non-traditional job, is a hard-to manage lesbian with a penchant for rule breaking of every kind. The fact that the building project proceeds without council permits, with an entrapped builder and using stolen materials, is just the start of the pandemonium."

A book for the independents.Contemporary fiction nicely in-between mainstream and literary.A new voice, intelligent, funny, poignant.Will appeal to women, gay women and rural women in particular, fans of the Topp Twins and women’s book clubs.For readers who appreciate strong characters, whimsical plot and a powerful New Zealand environment.

About the author

Julie Helean is a psychologist and health planner with experience in non-traditional work: truck driving, building and protesting. In 2008 she completed the Masters in Creative Writing course run by the University of Auckland, under the mentorship of Professor Witi Ihimaera. Born in Dunedin, Julie now lives in Auckland.

A delightful book. Highly entertaining. Strong characters.Well written and funny.Carole Beu Women’s Bookshop.