Horowhenua libraries: How books can become part of our lives and our memories

A book doesn't stop when you turn the last page, but can form memories you keep forever, writes librarian Kiri Pepene.

The other day, while shelving, I came across a book that I had not seen in years. Go ask Alice by Anonymous.

When I picked it up, I was immediately taken back to when I was 12 years old and first read this book. It had such a powerful effect on me back then, coming into teenage years in the 70s with many questions and feelings that were so overpowering at that time.

I remember the controversy surrounding this book at the time and how many thought it was unsuitable for a young audience. I am so glad that I got to read it, as it was raw and I could relate to Alice and many of the feelings she was going through.

It then got me thinking about how books play such a big part in our lives and how they can be an integral part of our memories as we grow.

A book that I found confronting, sad and challenging was Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. A novella about two migrant workers, George and Lennie, set in 1930s America, it explores the complex side of relationships. It only covers a time period of three days and yet the story could easily cover many years.

I have read it at different times over the years, and each reading reveals something different to me. I have discovered that loyalty can sometimes be misguided, but still given from the heart. That protection comes in many forms, and what may seem unkind at the time can often be the best course of action. It is not a modern story and yet the meaning transcends time.

I was in my mid 30s when I read Leningrad: State of Siege by Michael Jones, and what an effect it had on me. I am not really a reader of war books, but this one tells the story of the people who suffered greatly in the act of war. In September 1941, the great siege began on Leiningrad. The objective was, in any terms, horrendous.

In the words of the book itself - “the problem of housing and feeding the people cannot and should not be solved by us. In this struggle for survival, we have no interest in keeping even a proportion of the city’s population alive.”

What began was a 900-day attack on the city, where the German high command planned to eradicate the population through starvation. When the siege ended in 1944, over a million people had died.

Now one would think such a terrible tragedy would not be the kind of book to have a profound effect on me. However, it did. The stories contained within the pages were of normal people who, despite the horror of what they were living though, showed such strength of survival. It taught me that no matter what is happening, there is always hope, and how remarkable humans can be in adversity.

The power of the written word can never be underestimated.

Top 10 books

Now available on DVD

BBC Frozen Planet II: Life on thin ice

Whetū Mārama - Bright Star: Hek Busby, the wayfinder of the Pacific

Game Changers : Inside the video game wars

Italy’s Uncharted Islands

Life Story: Many lives, one epic journey

River: Narrated by Willem Dafoe

Lost Treasures of the Maya

My Old School: A film by Jono Mcleod

Hemingway: The man. The myth. The writer revealed

Munch: Love, ghosts and lady vampires

What’s On

Heritage room:

Volunteers staff the Heritage rooms at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Tuesday to Saturday at the following times:

Tuesday, 10am-12.30pm

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 10am-12.30pm and 1pm-3pm

Saturday 10am-12pm

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom Heritage Room has the Research librarian available all day every Friday.

Friday, June 7:

Friday Live Concert, Robyn Jones & Friends, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12pm-1pm

Jim Redmond Crib Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm-3pm

SeniorNet, Get help with your tablets, phones and laptops

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 10am-12pm

Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 2pm-3pm

Code Club, Shannon Library, 3.30pm-4.30pm

Monday, June 10:

Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am-2pm

Storytime, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am-10.30am

Meet Street, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am-11am Volunteer Central, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am-12pm

Digital Learning: Introduction to ChatGPT, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11am-1pm

H.U.G Horowhenua Ukulele Group, Main Space, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11am-12pm

Simply Meditation, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12pm-1pm, koha

Tuesday, June 11:

Digital Learning: Discovering Family History, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11am-1pm

Digital Learning: Discovering Family History, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11am – 1pm

Justice of the Peace, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11.30am-1.30pm

Really Alive Poets, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 12pm-1pm

500 Card Group, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm-3pm, $2

Lego Hour, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 3.30pm-4.30pm

Wednesday, June 12:

Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am-2pm

Volunteer Central, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am-12pm Crochet & Coffee Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10.30am

Digital Learning: Online Safety – Better Digital Futures, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm-3pm

Code Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 4pm-5pm

Pop Up Eats Horowhenua, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Carpark, 5pm-8pm

Quiz Night, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 7pm-9pm, $5

Thursday, June 13:

Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am-2pm

Digital Drop-Ins Session, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 10am-12pm

Sewing Workshop, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am-12pm

500 Card Group, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm-3pm, $2

Digital Learning: Staying Safe Online, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 1.30pm-3.30pm