The Paua Tower

Description

A Tarot-reading Frenchwoman and a paua-shell memorial to a dead soldier play an important role in Coral Atkinson's latest novel. Set in a central North Island town during the 1930s Depression, THE PAUA TOWER explores the relationship of a group of people struggling to survive and make sense of a bitter time. It is the story of Vic Cowan, unemployed activist and Stella Morgan, the sweetheart who must save herself; it tells of Jack Baldwin the disabled bank manager who sees visions; and Roland Crawford the doubting clergyman. Faith is lost and found, corruption is rife and innocence destroyed, but through it all love blossoms and hope endures. This is a novel set in New Zealand at a pivotal moment in our history. it is about how we once were, or might have been.

First published March 2006.

Author description

Born in Ireland, Coral Atkinson moved to New Zealand as a girl and studied history at the University of Canterbury. She has worked as a secondary school teacher, educational journalist, in book publishing and currently tutors on a publishing course while also running adult education seminars. She has had short fiction published in New Zealand, Ireland and England and won and been shortlisted for a number of short story competitions. She co-authored RECYCLED PEOPLE: FORMING NEW RELATIONSHIPS IN MID-LIFE (Shoal Bay Press, 2000) and published various non-fiction articles, essays and educational texts. Her first novel was THE LOVE APPLE.