Discover the captivating essence of contemporary New Zealand literature with 'The Wandering Nature of Us Girls' by Frankie McMillan, published by Canterbury University Press. This finely crafted paperback, measuring 130 x 204 mm, spans 128 pages of profound storytelling. Released on 19-08-2022, McMillan invites readers into a world filled with wit and warmth. In this compelling collection of short stories, McMillan masterfully explores the theme of wandering through the lives of unmoored characters, balancing moments of transgression with humor. Each vivid narrative blurs the lines of reality and surrealism, transporting you into unexpected journeys. Dive into tales where children drift, adults explore serendipitous relationships, and life's fleeting moments intertwine. Water, a recurring symbol, meanders throughout the stories, intensifying the connection among characters, from swan-raised girls seeking hope to grandmothers embracing solitude. McMillan’s imaginative settings, from European post-war circuses to suburban Aotearoa's inflatable pools, illuminate the beautiful yet complex nature of familial bonds—whether real or imagined. Acclaimed for her previous works, including the celebrated 'The Father of Octopus Wrestling', Frankie McMillan brings a poignant and revealing perspective to modern fiction. Embrace a narrative that is both bitter and sweet, capturing the essence of human experience, and adding this literary gem to your collection today. Shipping details: Fast delivery options available to ensure you receive your book swiftly, perfect for igniting your literary wanderings.

The Wandering Nature of Us Girls
Author: Frankie McMillan Publisher: Canterbury University Press
Bind: paperback
Dimensions: 130 x 204 mm
Pages: 128
Publication Date: 19-08-2022
In these small stories, Frankie McMillan balances transgression and wit, showing a cast of unmoored characters with her signature warmth and compassion. Bursts of vivid, poetic writing blur the line between reality and surrealism as she explores all kinds of wandering: children wander, adults drift into unexpected relationships, and footholds can never be certain. Water, too, meanders like a river in the collection, a powerful presence linking disparate lives: the girls raised by swans swim towards what they hope is a better future in the West, a grandmother swims naked in an isolated bush lake, Magdalene’s behaviour on the fishing boat is under scrutiny by her sisters, while the taniwha Kaiwhakaruaki looms over lovers hiding under a wooden dinghy on the beach. In settings as unexpected as a European post-war circus or an inflatable pool in suburban Aotearoa, the enduring bonds of family, real or imagined, take centre stage. Frankie McMillan has given us a collection that is poignant, revelatory and bitter sweet. Frankie McMillan is the author of five books of poetry and short fiction. Her most recent collection, ‘The Father of Octopus Wrestling’, was listed by The Spinoff as one of the 10 best New Zealand fiction books of 2019 and shortlisted for the NZSA Heritage Book Awards, and her 2016 collection, ‘My Mother and the Hungarians’, was longlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. She has twice won the New Zealand Flash Fiction Day competition and has been the recipient of numerous awards and residencies, including the NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship (2019), the Michael King writing residency at the University of Auckland (2017), and the Ursula Bethell residency in creative writing at the University of Canterbury (2014). McMillan spends her time between ?tautahi Christchurch and Mohua Golden Bay.