Shirley Corlett

I remember finding this book fascinating when Mom read it aloud to us years ago. It’s hard to imagine going through something like the complete destruction told about in this story, and harder still to imagine the grief as people realized how many died in it. This is a fascinating portrait of early New Zealand, too—you get a sense of the difficulty of living on the frontier, as well as the struggles as different cultures tried to coexist and mingle.

I struggled with the story in some ways—the way it’s written (as a diary) is a little far-fetched for me. There’s no WAY the main character would have been able to write as much as is included here! Still, the play-by-play account this book provides gives the historical event a sense of reality, and that’s worth something.

Our family enjoyed this story when I read it aloud to them, and I’m sure this won’t be the last time we read it. Recommended, if you want to learn a piece of New Zealand history in an interesting way!… (altro)

Brilliantly written this story is set just after WW1 at Briden Orphanage -- an orphanage from hell. Life at the orphanage is particularly hard for Kenny and his sister because there is something in their past that they are being punished for, something their father did that Kenny can't understand. His father, Eric, was a conscientious objector who brought shame to his family and community by not enlisting in the war. Eric stayed true to his beliefs and was jailed where he later died while his 4 other brothers went to war, 3 of whom perished. Kenny & his sister Charlotte (Char) are rescued from Briden by their aunt Ivy & paternal uncle Alf. Uncle Alf is suffering from war trauma and loathes Kenny as he reminds him of his brother and the war. Kenny, Char and their cousins set about uncovering the perpetrators of the numerous thefts within the community and upon doing so are nearly killed. This realization makes Uncle Alf come to his senses and embrace Kenny & Char. Kenny, upon reading his dad’s bible, also learns that his father was not a coward, but a man true to his convictions, a man of guts who stood up for what he believed in. A very emotive read, well worth opening up.… (altro)