Kia ora koutou and welcome to BookHub’s May Highlights,

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In fiction this month Catherine Chidgey returns with a ‘deliciously chilling’ new release; a teenager discovers a potential windfall as they come of age in 1980s Auckland; an unlikely pair develop a life-altering bond; and two sisters set up a book club amid the chaos of World War II.

In non-fiction get a glimpse into Tina Makereti’s many intersecting lives in her frank and moving essay collection; discover what lies off the tracks in Tongariro National Park; learn how to tackle the hard things in life; and explore the fascinating history of traditional Māori clothing with Hirini Moko Mead.

And last but certainly not least, the kids’ section is brimming with fun and adventure! We have a beautiful picture book that tells the story of one fierce mama kiwi, there’s major BFF drama with Lottie Brooks, and travel through time in an action-packed YA romance.

Enjoy!

– The BookHub Team

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Bookseller Review

The Book of Guilt

Catherine Chidgey

The latest novel by Catherine Chidgey is a deliciously chilling story set in an alternate England. In this world WWII ended early in 1943 with the death of Hitler and the subsequent peace allowed the UK to access research carried out in the Nazi death camps.

In 1979 three identical teenaged boys are living in a rundown old house, the final subjects of a secretive project that is being closed down, watched over by three Mothers. They receive treatment for a medical condition they don’t understand, the symptoms of which keep changing. Kept isolated for all their lives, they are finally being allowed access to the nearby village, the inhabitants of which seem to both fear and hate them.

The England of 1979 is beautifully evoked through an accretion of perfect details. Secrets are gradually revealed, ratcheting up the tension as the truth behind the mysterious project is revealed. The frequent mentions of the children’s TV show Jim’ll Fix It are a subtle hint that the darkest evil can live in plain sight and be ignored by otherwise moral and upright citizens.

Catherine Chidgey is one of New Zealand’s very best authors, a wonderfully precise and thoughtful writer, and The Book of Guilt is probably her finest work since the marvellous Remote Sympathy, which covered some similar themes. A book to savour, this will resonate long after the final page.

Reviewed by Phil at Timaru Booksellers

Adult Fiction

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club
Martha Hall Kelly

My Name is Emilia del Valle
Isabel Allende

Adult Non-Fiction

Ngā Kākahu Māori O Mua
Hirini Moko Mead

Moral Ambition
Rutger Bregman

Children’s Books

Kimi the Kekeno’s Big Adventure
Shelley Burne-Field

The Lost Saint
Rachael Craw

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