These little collections are like a breath of fresh air on an autumn day: short and sharp.Īll of them are pared back and stripped of filler. Howard's little collection, Beyond What Is Said To What Is, contains very domestic poems.įinally, the Cold Hub Press has released ex-Dunedin writer Roger Hickin's The Situation & other poems. One of his poems is a letter to another local, David Howard. Olds is fun, casually magnificent and from Dunedin. Olds pursues his own path for the shortest of time and gets everything right. Peter Old's Ballad of the Last Cold Pie contains only 11 poems. The Cold Hub Press recently released three tiny collections of poetry. There is a big dude on Mitre 10 adverts on TV whose catch-cry is "Big is good!" Sometimes, with small collections of poems from private presses, little is better. Susannah and Rob meet again, the attraction is rekindled and they want to be together again.īut is it realistic after so many years when each is in another relationship? More realistic in her approach than most purveyors of this theme, Noble's ending is (three cheers) far from the syrupy sweetness. She takes a well-worn theme - woman meets man who was her true love 20 years ago - and traces the "will they, won't they get together again" story with her usual deft touch. The always-reliable Elizabeth Noble comes up with another well-written novel in The Way We Were (Michael Joseph, $39, pbk). I enjoyed it, and learnt a good deal of half-forgotten history, although a glossary of the numerous unusual terms would have been helpful. The atmosphere of suspicion is maintained throughout the story, as Hildegard struggles to understand the tangled events. The period is well-described, with much detail about political and religious upheavals and family rivalries, Clark writes vividly of the harsh life and bloodthirsty times. Her quest has many obstacles, including murder, attempted poisoning, a mystery surrounding the birth of a child and threats on her life by unknown enemies. The recently widowed Hildegard is seeking to found her own priory, in spite of the opposition of the male clergy.
It is Hangman Blind (John Murray, $38.99, pbk), an engrossing read, set in 1382. This week we review, Hangman Blind, The Way We Were, Ballad of the Last Cold Pie Coduroy Mansions, The Bricklayers, and Julian Corkle is a Filthy Liar.Ĭassandra Clark has written the first of what she states will be a series of Medieval Mysteries featuring her heroine, the nun Hildegard.
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