Joan's picks: Tell Me What I Am and Meet You at the Main Divide

Tell Me What I Am by Una Mannion: Deena Garvey is a loving mother to her daughter Ruby until she suddenly goes missing. Her relationship was difficult and her sister is convinced that Lucas, Deena’s former partner, is to blame – but he has a cast iron alibi and nobody will listen. He takes Ruby far away and deliberately alienates her from her mother’s family until one day, years later, she unexpectedly receives a package which forces her to question everything and sets events in motion which finally reveal some answers. It’s a beautifully nuanced mystery, carefully unspooled, and I loved it. 

Meet You at the Main Divide by Justine Ross with Geoff Ross: Justine and Geoff are the entrepreneurs who started the vodka company 42 Below and then I think also Ecoya candles. In 2017 they left their comfortable Herne Bay existence behind and bought Lake Hawea Station, with a huge sense of purpose about how they wanted to engage with the land, and to figure out whether it’s possible to farm sustainably and make a profit. They took on 6500 hectares of high country land and are running 10,000 merino sheep; and in addition to the farming have developed a significant tourism business. It’s a fascinating insight into some clever people who genuinely wanted to try and do things differently from the traditional ways of farming - and got a lot of flak for it from both neighbours in the area and the wider farming community. Much of this is really inspiring. 

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