Jack Lasenby (1931–2019)

A typical story written by Lasenby that tells of rural New Zealand life in the early days. As a mature reader i enjoyed this book because i coudl relate to some of the stories, their characters and the events that were going on. However, this has not been a popular book in our school library and that is because the children (townies) cannot understand the deeper features of the book and what they in fact mean where you have the Uncle telling fanatastical stories and how the mother is always moaning about him (her brother) being in her kitchen always eating her baking. Because it is set in the 1930's our children find it hard to relate to concepts such as preserving, neigbours being on your doorstep, Country Women's Institute etc. There is a glossary in the back and we had a quick quiz to see what words the children knew the meaning of, they knew very little and i was shocked that many of them didn't know what a sheila was and none of them knew what a cocky was. It's the 1930s. Our storyteller is crook in bed trying to get over a long sickness and wanting to go back to school, when Uncle Trev arrives to let Mum go out and do the shopping. Uncle Trev tells one story after another about the animals out on his farm, and about his neighbour Gotta Henry. He also goes through Mum's cupboards and helps himself to all her gingernut biscuits and Louise cake. If you think Mum should be grateful to get out of the house, she's not. When she comes home, she chases Uncle Trev and his dog, Old Tip, with her broom and threatens what she'll do to 'that man' next time he comes in.… (meer)

I was disappointed with this book, i had previously read the Quartet series and enjoyed them. This book 'Calling the Gods' was a Postbook Awards Finalist so i suppose my expectations were predetermined. I found the start too long winded in descriptive writing about Selene how she mastered sailing the boat after her banishment, there was a lot of boat terminology that i skipped. The middle chapters began to develop a plot about poisonings and feuds and the need to procreate to form a new village. The end right back to the start of hatred, banishment and the need to start a new village. A cyclic book that really gained little momentum for me.… (meer)