Book Reviews – From the Centre

From the Centre: A Writer’s Life
by Patricia Grace

In From The Centre, Patricia Grace tells her life story beginning with her beloved parents. She recalls travelling to Hongoeka Bay to spend time with family, her schooling with Catholic nuns, when she first realised she was Maori and therefore different, and on to meeting Dick, her future husband. She remembers the happy years teaching in Northland and the joy of her growing family. Grace also writes in depth about the political nature of being Maori and the fight to keep ancestral land. It took some time for her to pursue her passion for writing, and she talks about the journey it has taken her on. This is beautiful and easy reading and allows us to see inside the life of one of our most accomplished authors. It also shines a light on many issues still facing Maori today. I have loved her books, and I equally loved reading this story of her life.