Catalogue

A whodunnit with fragrance and warmth! Wellington 18

Generally agreed a great read. Jenny Pattrick has obviously done her research well and draws us in with her local knowledge of Samoan culture and language. Auckland 55

Another sterling read from the pen of this very engaging author. Masterton 10

Lively discussion covered many themes, cultural, secrets, family, generations, connections, life and its twists and turns. Wellington 130

The majority of the discussion group enjoyed 'Inheritance'; most scoring the book between 7-9/10. Members who had previously read 'The Landing' were able to identify more with the characters and their subsequent development in 'Inheritance'. Katikati 005

The book was enjoyed by some - the story-line and also the range of subjects it touched on. Those who didn't like it were not happy with the characterisation, and felt it was not well constructed. However, it generated a longer than usual discussion, so overall a good book for groups. Tauranga 016

Our group found the book enjoyable. Jenny Pattrick is good at teasing out historical facts and weaving them back into the narrative in a colourful and interesting way. The story had plenty of tension to hold the reader's interest. We felt we could almost feel the heat and humidity of Samoa, and almost smell the frangipani. Auckland 332

This book elicited great passion and dislike in our members. Her depiction of characters and her dialogue came in for the most criticism, with comments like 'cliched', 'unbelievable', and the dreaded 'Mills ands Boon!' We all agreed however that she can spin a rollicking tale, and excels in thorough historical research. We learned a lot about Samoa's past.... Raumati 001

All members of the group enjoyed the book very much. The strengths and weaknesses of the various characters made for interesting reading, and kept us all engrossed in the mystery unfolding. The background of the relationship between Samoa and NZ was an eye-opener for most of us - the bitterness felt by the islanders over the preceived treatment by the NZ government etc. We discussed the character of Jeanie and how powerless she appeared to be, but then she found the strength to break away from her husband's brutality. We also discussed how sometimes it is better to leave the truth hidden. Great discussion ensued from this book. Otorohanga 003

We all agreed that the book was good "story-telling" rather than a literary read, but we got caught up in the characters and wanted to know what happened next, so we were engaged. We thought the title was excellent, and explored some of the thoughts around 'inheritance' eg DNA, nature vs nurture etc. Auckland 335