In contrast, Makareta is the one the family is preparing to be great, and her life blossoms and flourishes in unexpected directions. Raised away from her family, apart from one brief visit, she watches and waits and it is heartbreaking. Mata in particular was character I felt especially attached to. I'm curious to see how this translates to film. Spanning decades, I enjoyed reading about the New Zealand they lived in, and the evolution of their lives. Their lives vary greatly, and I loved each of them. The book follows three cousins Mata, Makareta, and Missy. Initially I had trouble keeping track of what was happening and who it was happening to, but this clicked into place fairly early, and once it did I never lost track of what was happening. When possible I prefer to read the book first.

Cousins is one I was especially wanting to read because it was recently made into a movie. I loved Chappy, which I read a couple of years ago, and the handful of her short stories I read in high school so I am looking forward to reading all her writing and getting more of a sense of her as a writer. ‘Patricia Grace writes with an enviable clarity and power.’ - Evening PostĬousins has been adapted for the screen, the film produced by Miss Conception Films and Whenua Films, directed by Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith, screenplay by Briar Grace-Smith and Patricia Grace.Patricia Grace is one of the authors I am currently focused on, in terms of buying and reading. ‘ Cousins is an engrossing story that runs on in the head long after it has finished.’ - Dominion Sunday Times Lyrical and vibrant, smoothly paced and quietly rhythmic, Grace's language moves easily from one person to the next, as the stories unfold.’ - Ngahuia Te Awekotuku, NZ Listener Thrown together as children, they have subsequently grown apart, yet they share a connection that can never be broken.Ī stunning novel about tradition and change, about whanau and its struggle to survive, about the place of women in a shifting world. Moving from the forties to the present, from the country to the protests of the cities, Cousins is the story of these three cousins. Mata is always waiting - for life to happen as it stealthily passes by. Missy is the observer - the one who accepts but has her dreams. Makareta is the chosen one - carrying her family's hopes. Now a feature film, this is the unforgettable story of three women's intersecting lives. One of Patricia Grace's most popular novels.

Potiki by Patricia Grace