Hoods Landing
By Laura Vincent
Review by Bel
Hurrah for micro presses and the platform they provide for under-represented voices! Hoods Landing is the first novel from Āporo Press, Laura Vincent’s debut, and they’re both off to a cracking start.
Rita Gordon is not well. But Christmas is coming, so the time has come to tell the family while they’re all together. Although when it comes to the Gordon family, it’s hard to get a word in. And Rita’s not the only one with a secret.
This novel is immensely hospitable. We’re given a seat at the table as meal preparations, old resentments, deep affection, memories, in-jokes, philosophical discussions and the hunt for extra bedding tumbles around us. The family’s colloquial banter, large personalities and big feelings certainly don’t stand on ceremony. It’s chaotic, intimate, raucous, and a lot of fun.
Vincent tempers any risk of sentimentality by peppering with novel with vignettes of other locals from this fictional town in rural Auckland. This chorus on the periphery of the Gordon family haunts the homely setting, unsettling romantic notions of small-town life.
Here is a novel that hasn’t been extruded from the mainstream publishing machine. It’s quirky and playful, with a gently self-deprecating Kiwi humour and a dash of romantic sizzle. A delightful comfort read that’s full of heart.
For fans of Rebecca K Reilly’s Greta and Valdin.
