1. (RETURN) The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (A&U)
One of several books returning or new to the bestsellers list this week is the incredible story of Kiwi spy Pippa Latour. Latour, who died in West Auckland in 2023 aged 102, helped lay the groundwork for the D-Day’s success and the end of World War II by acting as a secret agent in France for Britain.
“I was not a James Bond-style spy,” said Latour. “I was a secret agent whose job it was to blend into the background and cause quiet chaos.” It was exhausting work; she was unable to trust anyone, had several code names, and was often hungry. It was desperately perilous, too. Many of the 13,000 SOEs were killed, including 14 women out of 39 in France. The average life expectancy of male wireless operators in France when she served was six weeks. Latour’s was a truly remarkable life all around, and The Last Secret Agent, co-written with Jude Dobson, is a clear and fluent account. Read the review here. Dobson is working on turning the book into a screenplay.
2. (NEW) Star Gazers by Duncan Sarkies (Te Herenga Waka University Press)
“I never thought I would get this invested in a novel about the inner dealings of the national Alpaca Breeders Organisation,” noted the Listener’s reviewer of this new entrant in the charts. “It seems such a ludicrous society in which to set a political drama – punctuated as it is with images of those woolly, silly faces – but ultimately, the small scale is the point. The backstabbing and often criminal manoeuvrings of the everyday people at the centre of Star Gazers is an illustration, in microcosm, of the ways in which people can go wrong….
“These people are ordinary, and they are everywhere, and they are poison – the more so because they really believe, all of them, that they’re doing the right thing, not just for themselves but for everyone. ‘Everything I do is good. Everything I have done is good. I am bold. I am strong. I am smart. I am a winner,’ Shona repeats to herself, justifying her behaviour, reinforcing her self-delusion.” You can read the full review here.
3. (NEW) The Comeback Code by Jake Bailey (A&U)
A straight-up guide to getting through life’s ups and downs, claims the publisher of this handbook on coping with trauma that debuts in third spot. “As head boy at Christchurch Boys’ High in 2015, Jake delivered his end-of-year speech from a wheelchair, only a week after being diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of cancer. His inspirational words went viral and touched the hearts of millions.
“Once in remission, Jake was left with questions: how do young people overcome adversity? Are we born with these skills or can they be learned? And, if so, can we teach people how to flourish in the face of major setbacks and not just battle through them?
“In search of answers, Jake studied positive psychology, and since then has shared the knowledge he’s gained with more than 100,000 people around the world. Jake’s vision is to equip the next generation with the tools to meet life’s challenges, but the strategies he’s developed apply to young and old. Whether it’s learning to slow down, finding the humour in a situation, not sweating the small stuff, or recognising the importance of having good people by your side, this book draws on the latest research to show you what to do when life throws you a curveball – not only how to cope, but how to thrive.” You can read more about Jake Bailey here.
4. (7) Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment by Monty Soutar (David Bateman)
Monty Soutar picks up the narrative where Kāwai: For Such a Time as This left off. As the Listener’s review notes (you can read it here), “The advent of muskets placed the power of fire and death into the hands of any iwi with the cunning, the connections and the economic capacity to possess them. In so doing, the musket undermined the foundations of Māori society, including the mana of the tohunga, upending their command of magic and their bond with the spirit world through its blind disregard for the sacred pageantry of war, death and the interweaving of these things with all that is tapu. This in turn paved the way for European missionaries to bring stories of a different god, a new perspective on faith and the sanctity of life, and irrevocable change. Soutar uses this narrative to explore the power of words, both the writings of men who claimed to be holy and the fractious ink of te tiriti, whose intentions remain contested to this day.”
5. (2) Understanding Te Tiriti by Roimata Smail (Wai Ako Books)
David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill is likely behind brisk sales of human rights lawyer and educator Roimata Small’s book, a brief and easily digestible guide to the basics of the Treaty of Waitangi.
6. (4) Aroha by Hinemoa Elder (Penguin)
The wisdom of 52 Māori proverbs explained by psychiatrist Hinemoa Elder in this bestselling book first released in 2020. An extract:
“Ko te mauri, he mea huna ki te moana – The life force is hidden in the sea.
“Powerful aspects of life are hidden in plain sight.
“This whakataukī stems from one of our famous ancestors from the north, Nukutawhiti. He cast his kura, his feathered cloak, into the Hokianga Harbour to calm the waters for safe passage. And this treasure remains there, out of sight, yet signifies the ancient presence of those that have gone before.
“This saying has given me strength so many times. I have always found it comforting because it speaks to the hidden magic of life.
“It reminds me of those things we feel intuitively but often ignore – we can choose to tune in to our gut instinct, for example, or wait until the messages become clearer and more obvious.
And it reminds me that we all have hidden powers inside us that we can too easily forget.”
7. (10) More Salad by Margo Flanagan & Rosa Power (A&U)
The latest cookbook from sisters Margo Flanagan and Rosa Power, which promises more of the same tasty-looking food that delivered them previous bestsellers. Neither is vegetarian or vegan; they just encourage moderation in all things. Recipes go from raw to pan to oven, including desserts. They list swappable ingredients, tips and timesavers, and pairing suggestions. You’ll find recipes from the book here.
8. (6) Atua Wāhine by Hana Tapiata (HarperCollins)
Tapiata (Te Arawa, Ngati Awa, Ngati Porou, Waikato, Pākehā) is a mother and writer who lives by Māori philosophies “to explore wellness, self-determination and liberation”. From the publisher: “Atua wahine are the Māori goddesses who make up the world around us: earth, fire, water, the moon and more. From the earth mother, Papatuanuku, who sustains and nurtures us to the goddess of peace, Hineputehue, who transformed pain into beauty, and the misunderstood goddess of the underworld, Hinenuitepo, who created purpose and enlightenment from betrayal – this book is a treasure of knowledge and insight.
“Drawing on whakatauki (proverbs) and purakau (traditional stories), discover how the wisdom of 17 atua wahine can help us live with courage and confidence in the modern world. With guided steps, these atua will inspire you to foster creativity, acknowledge cycles of change, and embrace self-determination.”
9. (RETURN) Kāwai: For Such a Time as This by Monty Soutar (David Bateman)
Soutar’s first epic tale of early life in Aotearoa is back in the charts, revealing the role of colonisation in shaping the country while not shying away from an honest and sometimes visceral depiction of the times. It has sold extremely well since its release in 2022; as has its sequel (this week’s No 4).
10. (RETURN) Kataraina by Becky Manawatu (Makaro Press)
As the Listener’s recent interview with Manawatu notes, a swamp, or kūkūwai, runs under and through Kataraina. “It is a shifting, changing body of water – an expansive wetland, a drained and lifeless bog, a deep lagoon. Like poet Seamus Heaney’s Irish bogs preserving Iron Age bodies in places where “there is no reflection”, it is a repository for memories of ancestral violence and retribution. As Aunty Moira says in the book, “That kūkūwai is all roimata. Tears.”
“Kataraina takes up the story of Kataraina Te Au, Aunty Kat. In Auē, she is a partially drawn character, seen through the eyes of the nephew she looks after, young Ārama, and feisty Beth. They see her spark, her love, her defensiveness, but also her bruises, meted out by Stuart Johnson, Uncle Stu, and never talked about. Never discussed.” You can read the full interview with Becky Manawatu here.
Source: Nielsen Bookscan NZ – week ending February 22.
