Category Archives: Historical

Purgatory by Rosetta Allan – 2014

Posted on January 1, 2015 by alysonebaker

What a wonderfully imagined novel, and so well executed.  Its focal point is the 1865 Otahuhu Murders, and the times have been meticulously researched, resulting in rich and engrossing story-telling.  The tale is told from two points of view: that … Continue reading →

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The Naturalist by Thom Conroy – 2014

Posted on December 13, 2014 by alysonebaker

The naturalist is a moving account of the life of Ernst Dieffenbach.  A revolutionary who believed in universal equality, Dieffenbach spent most of his life in exile from his native Giessen, and as an outsider from the various groups and … Continue reading →

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Drowning City by Ben Atkins – 2014

Posted on November 30, 2014 by alysonebaker

Set at the end of the prohibition era in the US, Drowning City is one eventful night in the life of Max Fontana, a partner in a booze smuggling business.  Despite there not being a blameless character in novel, Fontana manages … Continue reading →

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The bright side of my condition by Charlotte Randall – 2014

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

The bright side of my condition is superb! Based on an historical incident where four escaped convicts were left on one of the Snares islands – the captain promising to pick them up one year later – but failing to … Continue reading →

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The luminaries by Eleanor Catton – 2013

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

If you are hesitating over picking up (or downloading) The luminaries due to its much-discussed 828 pages – don’t. Once I started reading it I continued to do so contentedly through to the end – never once wishing it a … Continue reading →

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The virgin and the whale by Carl Nixon – 2013

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

I am a big Carl Nixon fan – and The Virgin & the Whale has strengthened this position. It is a story about stories – how we use them to cope with trauma; and stories within stories – overtly playing … Continue reading →

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The purple shroud by Stella Duffy – 2012

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

The Purple Shroud is the continuation of the story of Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore. Theodora ends on a high, with Theodora having risen from humble origins to be the Byzantine Empress in Constantinople alongside her husband Justinian. The Purple Shroud … Continue reading →

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Rangatira by Paula Morris – 2011

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

Rangatira is a lovely book – the story of Paratene Te Manu told from his point of view as an old man. As he sits for a portrait by Lindauer he looks back on his trip to England, which he … Continue reading →

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Hokitika Town by Charlotte Randall – 2011

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

A slice of life on the West Coast in the 1860s as seen through the eyes of a young boy trying to make sense of the world, relationships and trickiest of all, the English language. Funny, sad and intriguing, it … Continue reading →

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The conductor by Sarah Quigley – 2011

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

So much more than a novel about how art can help people triumph over, or at least survive through, adversity; The Conductor is a complex novel exploring the many and various drives and desires that keep us going. A disparate … Continue reading →

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