Ordinary People Like Us

The stunning final novel from one of New Zealand's finest writers. Ambitious, funny, wise and deeply affecting, Ordinary People Like Us calls to mind the immersive narratives of Elena Ferrante and Isabel Allende. 'And here I was thinking we were just ordinary people.'

From the landscapes of the Far North, through inner-city Auckland and to London in the 1970s and 90s, Ordinary People Like Us follows five generations of Māori women through a century of profound social and cultural change. Bird. Kaa. Annie. Lorna. Jen. Pax. Where should we start? What is there to know? Some fall in love easily, while others wait half a lifetime for their person. One walks a thin line between the land of the living and the call of the void. Some listen to the ghosts of the past, and each forges their unique way in the world.

Gifted with an otherworldly instinct, in their most ordinary lives, they are all extraordinary. Expansive and intimate, exploring the bonds that endure through generations, Ordinary People Like Us is a celebration of family and a powerful reminder that no matter how far we travel, it is the people who love us that keep us whole.