Reviews of select reads for this edition from our City of Literature collection

Aging in a Changing World Molly George
A review on the back of this book states “sure to become a classic of urban ethnography. A powerful and much needed account of the way in which older people respond to and negotiate change within urban communities.”

In this book the author challenges simplified images of old people as racist, nostalgic, and resistant to change. Molly George is a social anthropologist and a research fellow at the University of Otago. Her research is published by Rutgers University Press.

I really enjoyed reading this insightful study. Like the saying “never judge a book by its cover” we should not make blanket statements about different groups in society. Dig deep like the author has done and you will unearth many variables that throw preconceived notions out of the window. In New Zealand we are all in the same multicultural pot and the author provides good evidence to suggest that the elderly can be the first to give a helping hand and get on with it!

Highly recommended.

Fashion FWD >> Disruption Through Design, Published by Otago Museum Trust Board and Otago Polytechnic
Inside a shiny, dusky pink cover lies a treasure trove of clothing and fashion both old and contemporary, with a special emphasis on showcasing winning emerging designers from all over the globe since the inception of this fabulous competition. The Emerging Designers Show is one that is extremely popular in Dunedin’s fashion calendar. But due to pandemic restrictions in 2020 and 2021 the competition was forced to be held behind closed doors!

“Emerging designers draw their information from many sources, one of which is museum collections of dress and textile”. 

The Otago Museum dress collection is a significant one and reveals changing fashions in clothing and activities showing a direct link to societal custom from the earliest days of settlement in Dunedin. Otago Museum collection items are a wonderful inspiration for many fashion students from Otago Polytechnic to learn about what past designers and makers created, and how they made them.

This book is a sumptuous treat for fashion lovers and the informative text provides great insights into the collections covered, be it new or old, and testifies to the strong partnerships that make this iconic event so successful and popular. Did I mention gorgeous photography! A beautifully produced book and a glorious tribute to all involved who have put Dunedin on the map as a fashion destination. Highly recommended.

James Courage Diaries Chris Brickell
Here Chris Brickell has edited and compiled hundreds of diary entries that give a fascinating social history of time and place (New Zealand and Britain) between 1920 and 1963. James Courage was a successful author and playwright and we get to dip into about his world and learn about what is happening around him in his own words. It is exciting and voyeuristic to read someone else’s diary and this book is so interesting and engaging, it is hard to put down.

Chris Brickell’s background information and his selections from the 400,000 words of diary entries that are permanently held in Hocken Collections reveal Courage to be an intelligent, engaging man, with an astute power of observation that he could accurately put down on paper. Reading his diary excerpts is proof of how accessible this writing was, but also highlights some complex personality traits. Clearly an observer of people and personality, readers liked the sense that they could identify with his characters, often even if it involved some potentially difficult themes around sexuality or desire. His talent connected him with many other accomplished writers of the time, from New Zealand and abroad. Photographs, theatre programmes and reviews provide extra proof of his success and add that old fashioned interest in times long gone! Enjoy!

Latent Wolf Elisha Kemp
This rollicking read will be popular with YA readers and those who crave the otherworldly genre of werewolves, shapeshifters and so much more. Claimed to be the first book in the Tobias Finch series, the fast pace and snappy dialogue is sure to have fans wanting more.

Our young hero will need to find himself and realise his true potential and abilities, to solve the secret that led to his parents’ deaths. There are many surprises throughout the book and the tension is kept high throughout. Coupled with that is a burgeoning romance that could be dangerous and out of bounds. The cliff hanger ending is sure to have readers eagerly awaiting the next in the series. Refreshing.

Rewild Your Life, 52 Ways to Reconnect with Nature Sarah Stirling
This delightful book is a treat: a great size and beautifully produced, it is sure to inspire many to reconnect with some of the simplest of things in the world around us. Over-attached to technology and cosseted in our homes, the Western world has never been so disconnected from nature. This book provides lots of examples to help you discover or rediscover your place in the great outdoors.

Featured in Rewild Your Life are indoor and outdoor projects and activities, foraging ideas, sewing tips and diarised seasonal chapters, to inspire us to appreciate our natural world and to take time to ‘‘smell the roses” as it were. Sarah Stirling asks us to reawaken senses that may have become blunted by modern life and have made us wary of making the most of nature, particularly in these times of the COVID pandemic. Her book is beautifully crafted, well thought out and perfect as a tool to lift the spirits and improve overall happiness, health, and wellbeing.

Rewild your Life is full of gorgeous illustrations that are bright, cheerful, and have a hint of nostalgia about them. Highly recommended.

Voices of World War II: New Zealanders share their Stories Renée Hollis

The front and back covers of this remarkable book provide a timeline of the war years between 1930 and 1947, listing the numerous campaigns, operations, and significant battles that forever remain part of our World War II history.

This wonderful book is a collection of diaries (physical and digital), letters, pay books, artefacts, photographs, news clippings and other ephemera, provided with the cooperation of over a hundred sources. Renée Hollis has produced a comprehensive social history of New Zealand during World War II that will be of interest to many readers.

The wealth of information contained throughout the book is fantastic, and congratulations must be given to the author, for the determination and dedication to her subject.

Beautifully produced by Exisle Publishing, the reader is exposed to accounts of battles overseas and the hardships our troops endured, yet just as much care in the book describes the hardships and limitations on daily life at home here in New Zealand.

Highly recommended reading!

Wild Domain: The Natural History of Jane Dodd Jewellery
Karl Chitham, Director, The Dowse Art Museum sums it up in his foreward when her states 

“over her thirty-year career Jane Dodd has amassed an impressive back catalogue of works. This gorgeous book shows us samples of some of that achievement." 

Jane Dodd has a strong following in Dunedin and this book cements the talent she has and the remarkable quality of her jewellery.

Beautiful photos of the most wonderfully crafted jewellery are on display throughout the book that has been published in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name, held at the Dowse Art Museum 20 February – 27 June 2021.

I can only imagine how stunning these pieces are in the flesh and wish that I had been able to admire them in person. A wonderful tribute to this exceptional jeweller! Enjoy!