Weathered Bones (Penguin 2009)

“The storm was more than a weather pattern. It was alive. Outside the wind got its hands around everything and dug its nails in. The garden was dragged down, its petals and leaves kicked off. When morning came it would stay flattened. Windows rattled, and across the road the sea pounded the shore throwing grey pebbles far up onto the asphalt.”

Evoking strong themes of art and unusual friendships, this first novel weaves together three distinct strands of narrative. Weathered Bones tells the story of Antoinette, a widowed grandmother, Grace, an emotional young wife, and Eliza, the lighthouse keeper from another century, in a book of dark water, flowers and midnight paintings. One night, an ancient and cursed storm brings the three together.
Inspired by the real life character of New Zealand’s first light house keeper at Pencarrow Lighthouse, Eliza becomes a presence in Grace and Antoinette’s lives, demanding an audience, a voice, and perhaps even a life of her own in the present day . .

Listener Review: Under the Weather by Louise O'Brien

"The tumult of the plot is set beautifully against the wild Wellington coast. It’s a very watery book, full of the sea, waves and rain. With the air “Granny Smith crisp” and the sea “a patch of perfect blue”, Wellington’s harbour is the sensory focus of the story – the view out every window, the soundtrack to every scene. In all its guises, whether welcoming, threatening or tranquilising, it is a setting that is wonderfully evoked and lovingly drawn..."

You can buy Weathered Bones from www.fishpond.co.nz or http://www.booksellers.co.nz/res_bs_online.htm