The story is set in 1968 in Karori, Wellington, and revolves around a paperboy, Zac, who, as a punishment for using his garden as a shortcut, has to read to blind Mr Moloney each day after his paper run. A bond develops between the boy and the elderly man to the point where the visits become the highlight of each day for both of them.
The author weaves in a subplot related to the Vietnam War and how that war is impacting on Zac, and the ANZAC Day protest that took place that year in Wellington forms the climax of the story.
To keep the focus of the story centred around the personal impact of war, William Moloney chose to ignore another event that occurred in April 1968 that impacted Wellington (and the whole country) to a far greater extent than any antiwar protest, and that was of course the Wahine Disaster. I had been reading with great anticipation of it being incorporated into the story, especially as my husband has vivid memories of the day, being himself a youngster and a paperboy in Wellington at the time. When I realised it wasn’t going to get a mention I emailed the author via the publisher. He explained that he had tried to make it work but just couldn’t without detracting from the plot. Once I got over that omission I enjoyed the rest of the story.
I liked how the author developed his characters and the plot, especially the twist near the end. I also enjoyed the setting because the streets in the story were on the bus route I used to take when boarding in Karori in the early 1970s. It was an inventive way to present a war diary and for me it worked. The book would have benefitted from more thorough proof reading, but overall it is a good read and I recommend it.
Posted by JM
Catalogue link: The Battle of Messines Road
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