I have admired much of this author's early books and have listened to her speak at the Auckland Writer's Festival of which she is the co-founder, so I was hoping for some interesting incite into the pulling together of these events.
This book like its predecessor, The Writing Class, is set in contemporary times and loosely based on her personal experience. That being said I was disappointed in the portrayal of the women and men in the behind the scenes look at the creation of these festivals. They come across as petty, small-minded and not really convincing. The writer's tend to be painted in a better light but not so the directors who are in to one-up-man-ship. She aims to convey the pressures placed on these women in both their personal and business roles. Interestingly one of her authors has written a new book under a pseudonym as this author has done herself.
In 2017, she was revealed as Lily Woodhouse, the author of Jarulan by the River. Once again, I commend her earlier historic novels and those set in the 1950's and 1960's but this one falls short in my opinion. I am tempted to get hold of Jarulan by the River, although it has been described as a bodice-ripper. ( )