Dry Drayton Book Group choice March 2023
Newlyweds Joseph and Harriet Blackstone emigrate from England to New Zealand, along with Joseph’s mother Lilian, in search of new beginnings and prosperity. They settle on the plains just south of Christchurch and Joseph builds a cob house made of clay and straw with a view to creating a smallholding. However, he does not heed local advice and builds the house in an exposed location which puts their lives at risk. As they start to work the land, they are befriended by Toby and Dorothy, established and wealthier migrants who have a son, Edwin, who was initially cared for by a Māori maid, Pare. Following an accident Pare was dismissed but she returns to see Edwin, in secret on a number of occasions.
As they work the land around the cob house, Joseph finds tiny deposits of gold (The Colour) and then hears about more substantial finds to the west. He leaves Harriet and Lilian and travels to the gold fields west of the southern alps where he expects and fails to make his fortune. After harsh weather which destroys the cob house Harriet eventually follows Joseph and finds her own stash of gold which makes her a wealthy woman who is able to make a comfortable life for herself and her family in New Zealand. Joseph ultimately returns to England with a small amount of gold that he took from Harriet and is depicted living out a very lonely life.
Once again the group was divided on their enjoyment of this book. Some members had little empathy for most of the characters whilst others found the story well constructed, the characterisation credible and the fate of the characters compelling. The group did agree that the narrative describing the landscape and hardships facing migrants in New Zealand at that time was excellent. One member of the group had visited this area of New Zealand and was able to identify the key landmarks depicted in the story. In terms of characterisation, some thought that Joseph had no redeeming features while others felt he was a dreamer unsuccessful in achieving his aspirations. On the other hand the women in the story displayed pragmatism and strength of character and it is notable that the group agreed that Harriet was the most likeable character.
Whilst there were numerous threads to this complex story there is a key theme of uncertainty in terms of terrain, relationships and the environment where the characters bring their small worlds with them and have to relate that to the larger world in which they find themselves. These themes helped to give the story cohesion and draw in the more esoteric threads such as Edwin’s relationship with Pare which was given a mystical and folklore treatment. Pao Yi, the gentle Chinese vegetable seller, plays a central role in the latter part of the book, rescuing Harriet and nursing her back to health as well as sharing his gold find with her. The story does have pace as it develops and the group agreed that the ending gave some resolution to the fate of the main characters.