Monday, July 25, 2016

Reading about New Zealand ?

Roger Hall writes:

A question for all you well-read people please:

Sally and Don, our Minnesota friends coming here in Feb, would be interested in reading something about NZ first. Sally was here for an AFS year when we were at high school and they came here on their honeymoon, so they're not totally ignorant of the place. 

Don asked if Michener had written anything. Can you suggest any fiction which gives an essence of the society or any palatable non-fiction or ???

3 comments:

homepaddock said...

My favourite NZ book is "Grievous Bodily" by Craig Harrison, now only available second hand or as a talking book.

"King Rich" by Joe Bennett. It's set in post-quake Christchurch as is Kate de Goldi's "From the Cutting room of Barney Kettle".

Non-fiction - John Perriam's "From Dust to Gold"

"The Snow Farmer - John Lee of the Cardrona Valley." by Sally Rae.

Margaret Ranger said...

My non-fiction book "The Long Clear Day: Everyday Life in Aotearoa" New Zealand examines life behind the ‘clean, green and safe’ image, offering a deeper understanding of the history, land, culture and people of Aotearoa New Zealand. "The Long Clear Day" looks into Kiwi character, health, education and well-being; it connects research carried out in New Zealand universities to everyday problems such as crime and it explores New Zealand’s relationship with the environment and the rest of the world.This is a book for anyone interested in New Zealand: prospective visitors or immigrants as well as for New Zealanders and expats, to provide a fresh perspective on the land they know so well.
“A fascinating blend of biography, social history, and travelogue. New Zealand comes alive in its pages.”– David Crystal, UK linguist & author of The History of English in 100 Words
Available in e-book format: http://amzn.to/Q3INlI. If paperback copies are sold out at Steele Roberts publisher, I still have copies. Cheers, Margaret Ranger Contact me at: emarg@paradise.net.nz

Sandra said...

"Thorndon" by Kirsty Gunn, a BWB Text with the subtitle, "Wellington and Home: My Katherine Mansfield Project".

Cheers,
Sandra