Turbulent Threads product reviews

As I started to read Turbulent Threads, I was struck by the number of parallels to my own background. I grew up in the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, but there are so many similarities between late 19th century Dunedin and 20th century life in the Waikato and Auckland regions where I spend my first 20 years. My next door neighbours in Hamilton were Chinese, and we spent holidays in Auckland where our neighbours were Lebanese! Both families had children my age, and the friendships forged so many years ago are still alive today. Furthermore, my own multicultural background includes a Scottish grandmother. Immigration has continued to shape this country since the first settlers arrived via Polynesia; this is a major theme in the story. It is of interest that there appear to be no significant Maori characters although this is probably a reflection of Dunedin society as it was in that era. And sadly, the xenophobia and outright racism referred to in the book continue to be an issue in many communities today.

As I continued to read Greer's story, I thought it was going to be just a historical romance. However, it is much more. In fact, the style reminded me of the way Eleanor Alice Burford Hibbert (writing as Jean Plaidy) set fictional romances against a background of historical events. I used to enjoy her books when I was a teenager; Turbulent Threads promised to be just as compelling. This story is rooted in the political and social issues of the times, something which intrigued me. I know Dunedin well and have even stayed at Larnach Castle, so the landmarks were familiar. Some original (19th century) buildings still remain in the central city so it is easy to imagine what it might have been like over a century ago,

The emphasis on human rights is a major theme in the book. New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote; this is skilfully yet unobtrusively woven into the narrative. Given that the main protagonist, Greer, is an independent woman who makes a success of her life both as a business owner and as a wife and mother, there is a strong message that one does not preclude the other. It is possible to combine the two. There is a nice contrast between the two men in Greer's life; Fergus represents the Victorian man who sees women as belonging in the kitchen, while Hamish regards his wife as his equal in every way.

I enjoyed the way that the author has fleshed out her characters with plenty of detail. My favourite is Florence, warm-hearted and jolly, with an amazing command of urban slang. Today her turn of phrase would offer a major contribution to an online urban dictionary and she would no doubt be a social media influencer - I can just imagine her peppering her comments with expressions like "chur" or "rotfl" and racing from task to task as "the personification of a friendly whirlwind"! A close runner-up to favourite would be Zhang Ming, outspoken and infinitely wise. Only Zhang Ming would have dared to refer to Fergus as a "stinky toad"!

Among the fictitious characters are several well-known New Zealanders. William Larnach and his family, the original owners of Larnach Castle on the outskirts of Dunedin, provide live-in employment for Greer when her father dies. Their story is interwoven with hers. Bendix Hallenstein and Charles Sew Hoy, names familiar to me because our family was in the rag trade and had dealings with their descendants, both play minor roles in the story. Other real people also mentioned in passing because they have links to the time and place include Edward Cargill and Minnie Dean. And we should not forget the albatrosses who carry out regular guest flyovers as if to herald a development in Greer's story.

A love story or a glimpse of colonial life in late Victorian times? It is absolutely a combination of both. It is an easy read, fluently crafted and hard to put down; I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It evoked many memories of my own past, and I would imagine many other readers who grew up in this country will have similar experiences.