The Spirit Remains
by Donna Goodacre
Somewhere in our past we can find our history. The times, the places and the people that have shaped us and our families.
This historical novel is based on the true story of the Author and has been dramatized with events both in the past and the present time. It spans a search that covers both New Zealand and England and covers five generations.
The Spirit Remains is the third of the series Our Unbroken Spirits. The previous books are Finding Miriama followed by Of Greenstones and Violins.
The saga begins with the finding of two watercolour paintings that were hidden in the desecrated family crypt in London. After some research they are handed over to the rightful owner and their place then found in the continuation of the family history.
Reading The Spirit Remains without the knowledge of the two previous books had its disadvantages for me until I found the whakapapa, family photos and the watercolours in the index and these I consulted frequently to maintain the story and time lines.
Throughout the narrative there was the mystical feeling of Ngaroma’s pounamu that she wore around her neck, which gave her strength to carry on as she searched for the Greenwood side of her family.
I loved this narrative with its glimpses into early British and New Zealand life, Maori culture and the shaping of whanau that continues to the present day.
The epilogue mentions the family, the memories and the feelings of belonging to the present generation and beyond and ends with...the story continues.......
Read and enjoy.
by Donna Goodacre
Somewhere in our past we can find our history. The times, the places and the people that have shaped us and our families.
This historical novel is based on the true story of the Author and has been dramatized with events both in the past and the present time. It spans a search that covers both New Zealand and England and covers five generations.
The Spirit Remains is the third of the series Our Unbroken Spirits. The previous books are Finding Miriama followed by Of Greenstones and Violins.
The saga begins with the finding of two watercolour paintings that were hidden in the desecrated family crypt in London. After some research they are handed over to the rightful owner and their place then found in the continuation of the family history.
Reading The Spirit Remains without the knowledge of the two previous books had its disadvantages for me until I found the whakapapa, family photos and the watercolours in the index and these I consulted frequently to maintain the story and time lines.
Throughout the narrative there was the mystical feeling of Ngaroma’s pounamu that she wore around her neck, which gave her strength to carry on as she searched for the Greenwood side of her family.
I loved this narrative with its glimpses into early British and New Zealand life, Maori culture and the shaping of whanau that continues to the present day.
The epilogue mentions the family, the memories and the feelings of belonging to the present generation and beyond and ends with...the story continues.......
Read and enjoy.
Review by Merilyn Mary
Title: The Spirit Remains
Author: Donna Goodacre
Publisher: Good Acre Books
ISBN: 978-0-473-78440-9
RRP: $38.00
Available: bookshops
Author: Donna Goodacre
Publisher: Good Acre Books
ISBN: 978-0-473-78440-9
RRP: $38.00
Available: bookshops
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