Passion: Living, Feasting and Writing deep in the Marlborough Sounds

Description

`Passion' is the perfect word for author Marion Day. She is passionate about many things - life, nature, photography, good food - and unifying them all is her love of writing. A veritable `feast' in seven stunning parts, not only does this book showcase Marion's life with her partner Steve Podjursky in Clova Bay, a remote area of outstanding natural beauty in the Marlborough Sounds of New Zealand, but it is also a story of local history and everyday life in a small, isolated community. A Kiwi treasure and a breathtaking pictorial journal, Passion revolves around three themes: Living - A superb insight into life away from the hustle and bustle of cities, noise, and traffic; Feasting - Allows the reader to enjoy Marion's favourite dishes using local natural foods caught or grown on her doorstep, and to learn how to use some unusual ingredients; Writing - Delight in Marion's narrative, interspersed with her wonderful anecdotes, short stories and poems, draws the reader into her remarkable life. Marion's inspiration often comes from the natural elements surrounding her, and it is that which led to this book being written. It is presented in seven parts: From the Past, From the Land, the Sea, the Sky, the Mountains, the Garden and finally, the Heart - a union of `living, feasting and writing'. Marion is a talented amateur photographer, and the majority of the photos are her own. The book presents beautiful land and seascapes, with their moods, along with images that portray her way of living, with family and community. Intermingled with the main narrative and photography are wonderful anecdotes, short stories and poems, and titbits captured in diary entries, along with a selection of scrumptious recipes - Marion's favourites - using local natural ingredients caught, or grown, on her doorstep. Throughout, the back-to-nature concept involves a simpler, more relaxed life lacking normal everyday communication with the outside world. The book aims to share her story with all New Zealanders and visitors so they too can enjoy life in a small, isolated community. We hope it may become part of the area's history and also showcase the broader culture of our country.

Marion lives in an isolated settlement in the Marlborough Sounds. She has written 13 full-length books and many short stories and poems. Her work includes young teen novels (mainly in the hunting/fishing genre, to assist boys in developing their reading skills), short stories for children, and a series of children's picture books based on NZ flora and fauna. Marion has also had short stories published and won numerous prizes and awards for her work, including being shortlisted in the 2011 Storylines Joy Cowley Text Awards, and winning the National Rural Women New Zealand and Ministry for Primary Industries International Year of Family Farming Photo and Short Story Competition in 2015. Her two bestseller biographies, Injun Joe and Blood Brothers, both about helicopter-based deer hunters, achieved top-10 status and sold several thousand copies each.

1) Marion has the knack of reaching her target audience with uplifting text and magnificent photos and detail. This is another example of her attention to detail, and I expect this coffee table publication will be another top seller for her. As always, I'm happy to sell it; it's another good one. - Jenny Johnston, owner and manager, Paper Plus Opotiki; 2) I haven't had much spare time lately but I've made time to dip in and out of this beautiful Marlborough Sounds book and it is wonderful. There is so much more to this book than meets the eye and I'm loving the richness of the content from the rock walls, to the poor dog who nearly drowned, to the cemeteries, the recipes, the photography and the ephemera. But I draw the line at pukeko soup, I have to say. Just kidding - of course it should be in this book. It's an eye-opener but then that is what reading a book such as this is meant to be about. I certainly hope it is selling well for Marion; she deserves this success. Robyn Welsh, Author of 'Wired for Sound - the Stebbing History of New Zealand Music' and journalist