I particularly enjoyed that it is mainly set in the rural South Island towns as it shows the beauty of a NZ I feel close too. In contrast of this beauty we become aware that we never know the horror of what happens behind closed doors, a particularly important story to tell as NZ has the highest rate of domestic violence in the developed world and fiction has a way of discussing sensitive issues that is less jarring than the news and more effective at evoking empathy from readers. While these difficult topics play out amongst the pages of Auē we need to be kind to Manawatu as there is bravery in telling this story, especially when so deeply personal.
