KEY POINTS:
Only by looking back into our history can we better understand ourselves. This is the modus operandi of the successful historical novel.
It's one that more and more New Zealand authors appear to be observing as they write about the past. Recent triumphant forays into the field of Aotearoa historical fiction include Jenny Pattrick's Denniston Rose trilogy, Coral Atkinson's The Paua Tower and Fiona Kidman's The Captive Wife.
To that list, add Barbara Else's new novel, Wild Latitudes, a glorious portrayal of feminist-minded womanhood, familial intrigue, gender subversion and old-fashioned match-making set in 19th century Yorkshire and Otago.
Adele Overend is Else's wilful heroine. From shipwreck to life on isolated Thumbnail Island, from being mistaken by sealers for a Selkie (a mythical seal-turned-woman) to transport to Otago, from residence with brothel-keeper Mrs Dearborn to discovering her brother Godwin alive and well but with a disturbing tale to tell, Adele is a sharp-witted survivor. The author has crafted a compelling leading lady whose defiance, fortitude and compassion make Wild Latitudes an absorbing read.
* Vintage, $27.99
