NZ Writer Kate De Goldi From The Cutting Room of Barney Kettle Penguin Random House 2015 $30.00pb 250pp ISBN 978 1 7755 3576 8
Themes: Brothers and sisters/
Christchurch Earthquake/ Film-Making/ Memories/ Points of View/ Story Telling
Barney (aged about 13) is a passionate film-maker and with
his sister, who acts as his assistant, sets out to make a documentary about their
local High Street (actually Christchurch's High Street before the quake) . This is a title
that is rich in every way - in writing/ in sense of story/ in understanding.
There is a great feeling of mystery about it - it seems to be being told from
the bedside of a man recovering in hospital from injuries. Who is he? There are avenues and highways and
byways to explore here. Nothing is really what is seems to be.
The question of course is – who is the book written for? My
guess is it is really for adults who will love every word of such a superbly
written narrative and maybe for some senior students. It will be interesting to
see its future!
Adults/ Some senior students
That's interesting, Barbara. Because Kate's book is in the junior fiction section of my local Whitcoulls. (I met you at Tinderbox). All the best Jane
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