(Random House, $36.99)
Dame Fiona Kidman is one of this country’s most evocative writers. At 71, she has lived through more than three generations of change and her quiet, gentle prose reflects these very New Zealand experiences with colour, character and a sense of place.
Her latest book of short stories, The Trouble with Fire, is a warm example of Fiona at her best, moving seamlessly from 1950s small-town New Zealand to the struggle of unmarried mothers in the 1970s, then delving back into colonial times and the rub between Pakeha and Maori.
From the first story, The Italian Boy, in which the writer remembers the events of her school days, I was lulled into a rhythm with these stories that, though the subjects were so very different, flowed through to the final page.
Her descriptions are simple and spot-on and the often conflicted emotions of her characters are hinted at, rather than spelt out.
For those who prefer their short stories with a sense of completion, these 11 works are long enough to fulfil the reader and the perfect length for a satisfying read at the end of a day.
The final selection of the book, however, does provoke an interest in reading more as the last two historical stories are based on fact. Fragrance Rising is about New Zealand Prime oinister Gordon Coates. The Trouble With Fire is about Lady Barker’s life in the late 1800s, with sweeping themes of these two periods that made me want to delve further.
Fiona’s writing seems to have a real sense of Kiwi restraint and honesty. There is a reason she is one of our most successful fiction writers – her tone fits with our own sensibilities so well.
This is a lovely collection of stories, and one that would enjoy a second reading – if only to admire her deceptively simple craft.
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