Books by Philippa Gregory, Donna Leon and Carl Hayman enjoyed by Listener readers. Photos / Supplied
Books by Philippa Gregory, Donna Leon and Carl Hayman enjoyed by Listener readers. Photos / Supplied
From historical fiction to former All Blacks stars, there has been an array of new books on New Zealand’s shelves this year. But which have Listener readers been particularly curious about? Here’s three of our most popular reviews published on the Listener online in 2023.
The queen of historical fictionturns her gaze on the lives of ordinary women
By Jenny Nicholls
Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History by Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory. Photo / Supplied
“Hilary Mantel called her a “great fictionalising machine”. For more than 30 years, the historical novelist Philippa Gregory has puréed real lives into romantic fiction frequently set in the royal courts of the 15th and 16th century. With titles like The Other Boleyn Girl, The White Queen, The Red Queen, Three Sisters, The Queen’s Fool and The Other Queen, Gregory’s crowning by the media as “the queen of British historical fiction” seemed inevitable, even though historians do dispute her accuracy. Gregory’s fans might argue that romantic history doesn’t have to be accurate – just escapist.”
“This reserved author, who turned 81 late last month, has now written an account of her life. At just under 200 pages, it’s shorter than her Brunetti books, but it’s an elegantly concise survey of a long, busy life, which she claims has been ‘feckless’. I think she’s brave.”
The rise and fall of former All Blacks star Carl Hayman uncovered in honest memoir
By Paul Thomas
Head On: Rugby, Dementia and the Hidden cost of success by Carl Hayman
Carl Hayman. Photo / Supplied
“Head On is a bleak, unsparing rise-and-fall story of a superstar whose life has gone tragically wrong – from being one of the game’s highest-paid players, widely regarded as the best tighthead prop in the business, to an emotionally broken, fearful man who forgets his son’s name and can find himself driving on a road to nowhere, his destination and purpose lost in impenetrable brain fog.”
