Orchids & Camellias by Sophie Rogers

This historical novel opens in Nelson in 1867 and follows the life of Ginny Yang, the widow of a Chinese man, who faces a difficult road ahead as she raises their mixed-race son on her own. Always looking over her shoulder in case her violent father finds her, she struggles against racism and sexism.

The story takes the reader from Nelson, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown and Arrowtown. Ginny is the central character in this well-researched novel, a woman who is initially grief-stricken and traumatised by her husband’s violent death at the hands of her own father, as she seeks out people who might be able to protect her. But as the years pass, she emerges as a woman of resilience, raising her son to know about his European culture and his Chinese heritage.

Woven into the novel is the societal issues of the time: the woman’s suffrage moment, the debate about prohibition, and the overlooked history of the Chinese gold miners.

Orchids & Camellias shines a light on a fascinating part of New Zealand’s history.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Flying Books