Recently arrived fiction from Aotearoa New Zealand
From the past to the future
Boys of the southern cross - David John Miller
During the Boer War young men from across the British Empire, eager to prove their loyalty to Queen and Country, fought at the far reaches of the African continent. Touching on the controversial aspects of the war, including the devastating impact of British concentration camps on the Boer civilian population, this semi-historical novel provides a compelling blend of action, adventure, and social commentary, highlighting the human cost of empire and conflict.
In a dystopian future where drinkable water is severely depleted and controlled by a powerful elite, Aotearoa serves as one of the few remaining 'hydrospheres' exporting this precious resource. Alex is a 'mnemopath' or human memory machine, who works for a water export company, WaiOra. Her job, though morally ambiguous given the thirst of local 'scavvos', provides her with a vital water allowance. When her former lover Lawrence reappears from China, working for a rival water company, a dangerous chain of events is set in motion as he exposes his company's fraud, leading to his disappearance and Alex's ousting. Stripped of her watercard, Alex decides to fight back, leveraging her unique memory and the secrets she's privy to.
Family drama
The good mistress - Anne Tiernan
Juliet is the mistress whom he loved but never committed to; Erica, the perfect wife who was never enough; and Maeve, the childhood friend and bestselling author. These three women are brought together by the death of Rory, the man that connects them all. Through flashbacks, the hidden history and secrets that bind them together are revealed - love, betrayal, grief, and forgiveness. What its mean to be 'good', to succeed and thrive in the messy realities of mid-life, with its accompanying struggles of identity, family, and past regrets.
Pre-gentrification Grey Lynn is a multicultural suburb in 1985 where Obi, a young boy on the cusp of teenagehood is navigating a life of poverty and a dysfunctional family. His world is marked by his father's delusions, his mother's illness, and the general chaos of their lives. When Obi and his friend find a treasure map, they embark on a quest for riches, hoping to save Obi's family from financial ruin. A raw and authentic coming of age set against the backdrop of the Rainbow Warrior bombing, in a community that existed on the fringes, one now long gone.
A beautiful family - Jennifer Trevelyan
It's the summer of 1985 and 10 year old Alix and her family have headed to the beach for their long summer holiday. Her parents are distracted and their marriage is strained, while her older sister is preoccupied with a boy. Left to her own devices, Alix befriends Kahu a young boy she meets, and together they decide to investigate a local mystery: the disappearance of a young girl years earlier. This seemingly innocent quest for adventure unwittingly uncovers dark secrets and lies, forcing Alix to confront the unsettling truths of her own "beautiful family." A debut novel getting a huge amount of attention, including from Jacinda Ardern!
After a long absence, Jamie, a drug addict, returns to his family home in Timaru, hoping to get help from his brother, a chemist, his sister, a doctor, or his insomniac mother. But Jamie's presence threatens to unravel the carefully constructed lives of his siblings and mother, while Sally, a new mother on the methadone programme, and the baby's father Shane are trying to go straight. Wilkins' previous novel Deliriouswas the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction winner at this year's Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
Finding ourselves across the world
Before the winter ends - Khadro Mohamed
Across generations, and from Wellington to Cairo and to Mogadishu, Khadro Mohamed explores how historical trauma and grief from war-torn Somalia continue to influence their lives in modern New Zealand. It centres on the relationship between a mother, Asha, and her son, Omar, as they navigate the complexities of their past and present. Omar struggles with his identity, feeling disconnected from his heritage and the father he never knew, while Asha struggles with language and grief, her experiences in the Somalian war shaping her identity and their relationship.
The stars are a million glittering worlds - Gina Butson
In a backpacker town in Guatemala Thea, fleeing a personal tragedy at home, befriends a couple Sarah and Chris, but their lives are again marked by tragedy. Haunted by her past, Thea drifts through life, eventually settling in Tasmania. Years later, against the backdrop of pandemic lockdowns, a new event brings all her old grief and guilt to the surface, forcing her to confront the past and the secrets she's been carrying. A debut novel that deftly mixes a mystery, travelogue and a personal navigation of human connection.
