The Reading Bud

Author: Thalia Henry
Release Date: 26th October 2017
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Travel
Series: 
Edition: E-book
Pages: 248
Publisher: Cloud Ink Press Ltd
Blurb:
Set amidst the physical and psychological landscapes of New Zealand’s southern hills and grasslands, Beneath Pale Water is a social realist and expressionistic novel that follows a triangle of three damaged individuals – a sculptor, a vagrant and a model – who have grown calcified shells against the world. Their search for identity and belonging leads them into dangerous territory that threatens both their sanity and lives. As their protective shells crack they are left vulnerable – both physically and emotionally – to the high country winds and their own conflicts that, ultimately, might free or destroy them.
“Powerfully evokes the landscapes and seasons of inland Otago.” Owen Marshall

Winner of the IPPY Gold Medal Award, Australia/New Zealand – Best Regional Fiction, 2018

REVIEW

★★★★

Beneath Pale Water by Thalia Henry is a wonderfully written book rich with descriptions of places that authors take us through one-by-one via her skillfully created characters. I enjoyed this book and felt that it was very different from the other, modern contemporary, genre fiction.

This book had a great story, good characterization, simple yet effective writing and a beautiful atmosphere which enveloped it from starting to end. Equal parts philosophical and entertaining, this book was uniquely interesting and engrossing. Initially, it took me a couple of pages to get into the story but once I got into the flow of the book, I was in it for good. I appreciated the author’s resistance to over-indulging in exposition as it saved the book from being too heavy.

A considerably quick that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about other countries and cultures.

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