On hearing of Barbara Anderson’s recent death I sought out the bookshelves of the local library to see whether there was anything of hers I hadn’t read and found All the Nice Girls.
Set in Devonport in the 1960’s it surely must be a classic portrait of New Zealand life, particularly New Zealand life for a young naval officer’s wife of the time. With its “shops closed on Sundays” and “the good wife’s duties: supporting the husband’s career and bringing up the children while he’s away at sea” themes.
With Anderson’s keen character drawing you can just see the other naval wives and town inhabitants mentioned. A not too predictable tale with an ending which is also not overdone confirming what I believe is Barbara Anderson’s high position in the New Zealand writing scene.
Posted by Catherine
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All the Nice Girls by Barbara Anderson
About the author
Barbara Anderson was one of New Zealand’s foremost fiction writers. Her short stories and novels were published to national and international acclaim. While her writing featured in journals, on radio broadcasts and in magazines, her first published collection wasn’t released until 1989, when Anderson was in her sixties. Her memoir Getting There: An Autobiography was published in 2008. She wrote numerous novels and short story collections, and many publications have been reprinted due to popular demand.
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