"I just want to entertain people with my books," says Richard, who generally types-up his stories at sea, while aboard the family boat. Photo / Paul Charman
"I just want to entertain people with my books," says Richard, who generally types-up his stories at sea, while aboard the family boat. Photo / Paul Charman
OPINION:
Good writers persuade you to suspend disbelief, creating fictional worlds that seem quite believable, just long enough to clobber you with a sudden plot twist. Upper Whanganui River farming identity Richard Steele, who has written four novels over the last decade – including the best-seller "Ghosts in the Valley"- is a master of this ruse, writes Paul Charman.
Drawing from farming experiences in the Kaitieke Valley and elsewhere, Richard Steele creates accurate settings for his novels and the salt-of-the-earth characters who inhabit them.
Then comes the plot twist.
A recurring theme is the way people living in an isolated community come together to help one another in time of need, even being prepared to stand up to authority to do so.
This is no myth, as a longtime rural journalist I've seen it first-hand.
For example, almost 30 years ago to the day (February 11, 1991), farmers and contractors from across lower Northland converged on Mangawhai Heads with heavy machinery in the early hours of the morning. Though lacking a resource consent or official permission of any kind, they set about closing the gap in the sandbar caused by Cyclone Bola.
This was a great story for the now-defunct Coast to Coast Courier, Wellsford.
Richard's books "Ghosts in the Valley", 2008; "Mist in the Valley", 2012; "Smoke in the Hills", 2018 and "Charlie Durham" 2020. Photo / Paul Charman
The so-called "Big Dig", which those digger and truck drivers undertook over four days was illegal but hugely useful. There were no repercussions and eventually it all led to full restoration of a badly damaged harbour entrance.
Characters in Richard's novels are cut from the same cloth. A group of neighbours give one day a month to assist one another with long-neglected tasks, then the arrangement which morphs into a plan to trap mysterious rustlers; another community conspires to catch a particularly nasty group of dak growers trespassing on their land; neighbours block a public road following a death of a lovely young woman caused by an abusive log trucker ...
But aside from the vigilantism, the details of farming in the upper reaches of the Whanganui River are fascinating in their own right. For example, the many times Richard and his family use their jetboat to rescue adventure tourists whose canoes capsize on the way to the famous "Bridge to Nowhere". These fascinating search-and-rescue operations are woven into several of the novels.
There certainly are dark themes, with some characters getting mysteriously done away with or eliminated through revenge killings. A common theme is that the authorities need not know about it, as long as the victims got their just deserts and won't be missed. This attitude is a little disturbing to me, but again, I've seen the reality of it in rural areas.
Richard's characters seldom swear and sex (there's plenty in Charlie Durham) is not depicted in any great detail. Violence is described fairly sparingly.
"I just want to entertain people with my books," says Richard, who generally types-up his stories at sea, while aboard the family boat. With four books out so far, he has several additional writing projects on the go, including an autobiography.
I read "Charlie Durham" fully believing until about halfway through that the young man from a deprived background, who pulled himself up by his bootstraps to purchase farmland while still in his teens, was a real person. That's how accurately Richard drew the 14-year-old character, who was neglected by his parents to the point of abuse.
For this and other yarns, Richard taps into experiences from previously farming with his wife Rachel at Reporoa, Mamaku and Kuratau.
And the 72-year-old has plenty to draw upon besides farming, having written numerous newspaper articles, formed local chapters of Federated Farmers and the Rural Support Trust, and standing (unsuccessfully) for the Act Party.
For me, some of the action gets a wee bit bogged down here and there, such as the financial details of how the young Charlie Durham purchases his second farm, and there are minor issues with continuity of characters between the books. But the lively descriptions of rural life – particularly in the magical Kaitieke Valley – seem to make up for everything.
Richard Steele with his latest novel, "Charlie Durham". Photo / Paul Charman
It's a treat for a townie like me to learn what goes on behind the farm fences I see from driving the rural roads. And as for the Kaitieke Valley, it's no wonder the place generates great fiction; I've had some of the best stories of my career exploring the place:
Between them, Richard and former Taumarunui councillor Rachel have three children. With their dad, sons Richie and Dan farm a total of 2500 hectares of sheep and cattle country in the upper Whanganui River area, while daughter Anna is a rural accountant. The family land is home to Blue Duck Lodge, a celebrated venue for adventure tourism and conservation, which featured in an episode of Hyundai Country Calendar, titled "Dan's Backyard".
Richard's four books - "Ghosts in the Valley", 2008; "Mist in the Valley", 2012; "Smoke in the Hills", 2018; and "Charlie Durham", 2020, can be purchased online from Retaruke Books, at Blue Duck Lodge or Taumarunui Paper Plus.
