Sea Change by Jenny Pattrick. Jenny is a longstanding writer of great New Zealand fiction, perhaps best known for The Denniston Rose some years ago. Her new one is lovely. Set in a small village slightly north of Wellington, which is completely cut off after a massive magnitude 8 earthquake in the South Island’s Alpine Fault and a subsequent tsunami, a number of the inhabitants decide to ignore a relocation mandate and manage their own survival. Their plans come under threat when a mercenary property developer sees the opportunity to buy up many of the abandoned houses and build himself a mini empire. Full of characters you can really warm to, and an all too credible premise. 

No Words for This by Ali Mau. Ali has been a journalist and broadcaster on the NZ scene for many years, and recently was a leader of the local #metoo campaign during which time she met many brave women – and ultimately came to realise that if they could share their stories so could she. She’s  had a terrific career with many rewarding jobs and raised a family, but her world came crashing down one night when her sister called and opened the can of worms that was their childhood. This is a truly courageous book and beautifully written. 

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