A review by nicolaanaru
The Skeleton Woman by Renée

 

In The Skeleton Woman, Renée (Ngāti Kahungungu) tells a tale of Rose, a no-nonsense bookshop owner, who one day finds an infant abandoned on her doorstep. What follows is a story that is part mystery, part romance, and part family history, as Rose tries to do the right thing, both in her immediate life and in reconciling past wounds.

I really enjoyed this book, although I sometimes struggled with the back-and-forth as family history was revealed through flashbacks or remembrances. One aspect I greatly enjoyed was the relationship between Rose and Olga, which begins to unpack differences in expectations for queer Pākehā and Māori; and addresses intersectionality quite neatly. Parts of this book are quite harrowing to read, and yet Renée  is able to balance this narrative by portraying a real sense of a community coming together to deal with loss and help each other in a very practical way.

The other big draw for me in reading this book was Renée’s very lyrical use of language - authentic dialogue, and striking prose.

Rose doesn’t approve of throwaway nappies, but one’s principles are as straw in the wind when fragrant theory meets stinking reality.

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The black planes cutting off the tops of the black towers have taken over people’s eyes and throats.