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Carnival Sky

Author(s): Owen Marshall

Location(s): Otago Region

Genre(s): Fiction

Era(s): Modern

Location

Content

Beautifully written, brilliantly observed and ultimately optimistic, this novel by one of New Zealand’s finest writers powerfully captures those times when death puts life on hold. Sheff is disillusioned with journalism and, with plans to travel overseas, chucks in his job. But first he goes south to Alexandra, where his father is dying. He becomes caught up with his family in the agonising inertia of waiting for approaching death. Slowly he comes to terms with suppressed issues of loss, love, resentment and commitment, and acknowledges he must reach out for new relationships. Sheff’s gradual transformation – sometimes darkly humorous, sometimes disconcerting – is handled with insight and subtlety and is totally convincing.

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Lead Review

I read this as I was passing through Queenstown and very much enjoyed the insight into one family in this part of the world and sharing loss and life. It made it feel very...

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