HOME BEFORE NIGHT, by JP Pomare (Hachette, $37.99)
JP Pomare's prodigious output continues - Home Before Night is his sixth novel in five years and, like 2020's Tell Me Lies, was first published as an Audible original.
It's another icy, twisted tale, which takes place amid Covid-like lockdowns in Melbourne, this time focusing on a mother's love for her adult son.
Our narrator, Lou, is a single mother who has been laid off from her airport border control job because of the pandemic. She's suffering from depression, drinks too much and has a rather creepy relationship with her only son, who lives with her. She also has a complicated relationship with her ex- a man who has moved on and started a new life and family, but to whom she is tied by past incidents.
Lou is smart and articulate but damaged - "secrets grind you down over time", she observes at one point- and she has more than her fair share on her conscience.
Esta historia es de la edición April 29- May 05, 2023 de New Zealand Listener.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición April 29- May 05, 2023 de New Zealand Listener.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
