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A review by bookishbiker
A Hope at the End of the World by Sarah Lark
2.0
Meticulously Researched, But Lacking ...
I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, particularly WWI and II. I'm also a New Zealander, of Ngai Tahu descent. I had never heard of my country taking in Polish refugees, nor are stories around my culture common, so this book intrigued me instantly.
Learning about that part of our history was enlightening. But, while the book was meticulously researched, the depiction of Maori and Maori culture lacked insight and depth. I couldn't get past some of the Maori character names, which I'd never heard before. They didn't make sense to me, and as I was reading them with Maori pronunciation, they refused to roll off my tongue. Likewise, certain terms. I've never heard "manuka myrtle", for example. It's just manuka. Hei-tiki is just tiki. Baskets are traditionally woven from flax, not reeds. And it's iwi, not tribe. These little things added up and ruined the book for me. Perhaps a little unfairly, but I couldn't help it.
On top of that, I found Helena unsympathetic and tired quickly of her whiney "poor me" attitude. But, it could just be that my difficulty in finding personality in the depiction of my culture affected my ability to empathize with the characters.
That said, "A Hope At The End of the World" was well written and I can't deny that the author did her homework, although it was less of a wartime story, more of a historical romance (with predictable romance plot twists). It's my first Sarah Lark novel, and while I may skip anything to do with my heart home, I'd be willing to give her another chance.
I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, particularly WWI and II. I'm also a New Zealander, of Ngai Tahu descent. I had never heard of my country taking in Polish refugees, nor are stories around my culture common, so this book intrigued me instantly.
Learning about that part of our history was enlightening. But, while the book was meticulously researched, the depiction of Maori and Maori culture lacked insight and depth. I couldn't get past some of the Maori character names, which I'd never heard before. They didn't make sense to me, and as I was reading them with Maori pronunciation, they refused to roll off my tongue. Likewise, certain terms. I've never heard "manuka myrtle", for example. It's just manuka. Hei-tiki is just tiki. Baskets are traditionally woven from flax, not reeds. And it's iwi, not tribe. These little things added up and ruined the book for me. Perhaps a little unfairly, but I couldn't help it.
On top of that, I found Helena unsympathetic and tired quickly of her whiney "poor me" attitude. But, it could just be that my difficulty in finding personality in the depiction of my culture affected my ability to empathize with the characters.
That said, "A Hope At The End of the World" was well written and I can't deny that the author did her homework, although it was less of a wartime story, more of a historical romance (with predictable romance plot twists). It's my first Sarah Lark novel, and while I may skip anything to do with my heart home, I'd be willing to give her another chance.