Middle-aged Michael is divorced, learning te reo Maori, dealing with his father's dementia, living on his own in a upscale apartment complex where no-one knows anyone else, and trying the online dating scene with varied success.
His much-loved adult daughter arrives home for an extended visit with a young man in tow. Literally. They're attached by an eight-foot rope, doing an endurance artwork.
Damien Wilkins' latest novel is a jazz riff on all manner of things; those mentioned above are merely the framework from which Michael's mind is likely to wander into various corners, including some very dark ones from his childhood. These reflective moments are a background to a number of excellent scenes with fully alive characters and sharp dialogue.
And a great deal of humour and wit. In fact the humour sometimes seems like it's been hanging around in Wilkins' file and he's finally found a home for it. Nothing is quite sacred, including te reo and Alzheimer's.
A few well-known New Zealanders are included in the story: John Key, John Campbell, Bill Manhire. They're all treated with the same humour and egalitarian spirit that's typical of the best in New Zealand culture.
There are themes aplenty but Wilkins never lets any one thing take over completely. The role of fathers is perhaps the biggest but bullies of various kinds get a good look in (male and female bullies), as does death, the need to listen (or the lack of listening), and of course what our culture consists of.
What makes Wilkins so valuable to New Zealand literature is that he writes about serious themes with a wonderful lightness of touch, unlike the dour books that emanate from a few of our other ‘‘serious'' writers.
Finally, the book's cover, which is a delight, expresses the tone of the work beautifully.
Mike Crowl is a Dunedin author, musician and composer.
-By Mike Crowl
