Book details

Book description

Vivid and evocative, this is a moving novel of a unique time and place from one of New Zealand's favourite authors. The Whanganui River at the turn of the twentieth century is a busy thoroughfare, taking sightseers through the spectacular landscape by paddle steamer and acting as highway for the sparse scatterings of settlements along its twisting length. The people who have made it their home are a diverse collection, from Samuel Blencoe, trying to forget his past life as a convict, to the hoteliers at Pipiriki, the nuns at Jerusalem, the Maori families, the Chinese market gardener and the farmers, like Danny and Stella, trying to tame the wild bush. There's also Bridie, the strange, silent girl, who haunts the banks of the river where the accident occurred that robbed her of her mind. Like the tributaries that trickle down the mountains and join the mighty river, so the lives of these people come together in this vivid and moving tale of a stunningly unique place. Jenny Pattrick is an acclaimed historical novelist, whose The Denniston Rose, and its sequel Heart of Coal, are among New Zealand s biggest-selling novels. They have also been republished in a combined illustrated edition. Novels by this former teacher and jeweller include the number one bestsellers Landings, set on the Whanganui River, and Inheritance, set in Samoa. Other titles include Catching the Current (2005), In Touch with Grace (2006), and Skylark (2012). In 2009 she received the New Zealand Post Mansfield Fellowship. She has been active in the arts community, and has also written stories for children. Identified by Nicky Pellegrino as  one of this country s most talented storytellers , it has been said that she  writes with the assuredness of a veteran , creating  an authentic stage for a cast of characters who interact in ways that always ring true (The Christchurch Press). Reviewing Landings, Graham Beattie concluded:  It is not surprising that she is one of NZ s most popular contemporary novelists and this fine piece of historical fiction will further enhance that well-deserved reputation.Â