The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Category: Family drama
Intermezzo – Sally Rooney
READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Tessa Set in Dublin, Intermezzo follows two estranged brothers, Peter, a lawyer in his thirties, and Ivan, a younger competitive chess player, as they navigate grief and their complex brotherhood following their father’s death. Through their complicated romantic relationships and… Continue Reading “Intermezzo – Sally Rooney”
The Things We Never Say – Elizabeth Strout
READ FOR BOOKERTHON Artie Dam is a 57-year-old history teacher whose seemingly comfortable life is plagued by a troubled mind and an emerging family secret. Written in Strout’s understated, character-driven style, the novel explores marriage, parenthood, loneliness and the things people leave unspoken, against… Continue Reading “The Things We Never Say – Elizabeth Strout”
The Frozen River – Ariel Lawhon
READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Bridget In Maine, 1789 real life midwife Martha Ballard delivered babies and kept daily notes of her work, community and surroundings. As an advocate for women she spoke up on behalf of a local woman at a rape trial. In… Continue Reading “The Frozen River – Ariel Lawhon”
Soviet Milk – Nora Ikstena
READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Rachel Set in Soviet-occupied Latvia between 1969 and 1989, Soviet Milk is the story of an unnamed mother and daughter struggling under Soviet rule. The mother, a gifted doctor unwilling to compromise with the regime, falls foul of the state… Continue Reading “Soviet Milk – Nora Ikstena”
All Our Yesterdays – Natalia Ginzburg
READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Jodie Published in 1952 and set against the rise of fascism and the Second World War in Italy, All Our Yesterdays explores how history unfolds through ordinary lives rather than extraordinary events. Natalia Ginzburg examines family, love, duty and the… Continue Reading “All Our Yesterdays – Natalia Ginzburg”
The Correspondent – Virginia Evans
READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE Sybil Van Antwerp is an elderly former lawyer whose life is revealed through letters and emails to family, friends and acquaintances. When someone from her past reappears, Sybil is forced to revisit a painful period in her life. Through her… Continue Reading “The Correspondent – Virginia Evans”
Hoods Landing – Laura Vincent
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS In the rural reaches of Auckland, the women of the eclectic Gordon family gather for Christmas. Rita, the 50-year-old baby of the family, is planning to tell them she has cancer. Drifting between past and present, she considers the… Continue Reading “Hoods Landing – Laura Vincent”
The Last Living Cannibal – Airana Ngarewa
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Set in the 1940s Taranaki, The Last Living Cannibal is narrated by an old man, Koko, from both the present and afterlife. It examines muru or the restoration of balance within an iwi or community, and is put to… Continue Reading “The Last Living Cannibal – Airana Ngarewa”
Before The Winter Ends – Khadro Mohamed
READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Set during a cold Wellington winter, Before The Winter Ends explores the immigrant experience via Omar, a teen whose grades are slipping and is losing connection with his best friend, and his mother who recalls her life two decades… Continue Reading “Before The Winter Ends – Khadro Mohamed”
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