by Claudia Pond Eyley and Dan Salmon.  Published by Auckland University Press, 2015.  Reviewed by Merata Snedden 

Helen Clark: Inside Stories is a conversation with and about one of New Zealand’s most influential, and at times, controversial political leaders. The book is a compilation of transcripts from interviews conducted by Claudia Pond Eyley and Dan Salmon for their 2013 documentary. At the time the documentary was completed, many of the interviews now included in the book, ended up on the cutting room floor.

For a long time Helen Clark has been a woman that I admire. I came into political consciousness while she was leader of the opposition and subsequently the prime minister. So the opportunity that this book promised, to get an inside look, was an exciting prospect.

Inside Stories does indeed give an inside look into Clark’s life and experience. While Clark is undoubtedly the protagonist, her story also serves as a thread tying together themes and events in such a way that it becomes an intimate discussion of the political history of New Zealand. It provides insights from political players across the spectrum and an examination of the consequences of choosing a public life.

Each chapter focuses on a period in time or a theme and pulls together opinions and impressions from those who were in the thick of it or observing from across the parliamentary chamber.

It is a book you can read a section at a time and easily come back to. My only gripe is that at times the narrative jumps around. Just as you are getting into some deep analysis of one issue the chapter ends or changes tack, leaving the reader feeling slightly dissatisfied. In part this is due to the nature of transcripts. While you are certainly guided by the suggestions of the editors, Inside Stories is refreshing in that the reader is left to draw their own conclusions — no mean feat for a political biography.

Helen Clark: Inside Stories serves as a testament to the passion, dedication and at times sheer bloody-mindedness of one of New Zealand’s most adept political operators. As she stands on the verge of being appointed to one of the most influential political positions ever held by a New Zealander, there is never a better time to get to know some of Helen Clark’s inside stories.

Published Tui Motu InterIslands magazine, Issue 206, July 2016