Talia Marshall's debut book Whaea Blue (2024) is a force of nature. Abandoning neutral expressions of praise, New Zealand's reviewers have spoken of it in tones of dazed warning: the book is 'stunning', 'haunted', and 'alarming in its honesty'. But while it has its wild moments, it also has notes of humour and gentleness, 'whaea' means mother or aunty...
“You know the book I’m reading?” I asked.
“Yes,” John said.
“Guess what happens to the woman the clerk is looking for.”
“Something bad,” he sighs.
“Yes. What?”
“She...
“You don't analyse such sunlit perfection, you just bask in its warmth and splendour. Like Jeeves, Wodehouse stands alone, and analysis is useless.” Stephen...
