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The Girl from London
London, 1940. Ruth, a young schoolteacher, volunteers as an escort helping to evacuate children from war-torn England to Australia and New Zealand. Her three-month voyage is fraught - their passage is perilous, and the children anxious and homesick. Nine-year-old Fergus is more troubled than most and Ruth forms an unexpected bond with the boy.It's not just Fergus who captures Ruth's attention. Bobby, a fellow volunteer who initially infuriates Ruth with his laidback charm, somehow gets under her skin and throws her ordered life into chaos.Tragedy strikes on their return voyage, when the Rangitane is attacked by German raiders. As the ship goes down, the surviving passengers are taken as prisoners of war aboard the German vessel. To the rest of the world, they are missing, presumed dead.New Zealand 2005. Hazel boards a plane to London, eager to explore Europe. Sitting next to her is a man named Joe. On her lap is a treasured book from her grandfather, Fergus. A book that will finally reveal Ruth's story.A captivating, heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
December 15, 2023
Ruth Best is a young schoolteacher, due to the Second World War her students have been relocated to the English countryside, she reads about The Children’s Overseas Reception Board or the CORB for short and their looking for volunteers who have experience with countries belonging to the commonwealth or the dominions. Children will be sent to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and accompanying them will be clergymen, teachers, doctors and nurses, the voyage will take three months, the ship will have an escort and it’s still very dangerous due to the German U-boats.
Fergus McKenzie is reluctant to be with the two boys from his school in Glasgow, he promised his mam he would look after his little sister Rosie and he’s one of Ruth’s charges. The children and adults board the Batory, with a mixture of excitement, anticipation and dread. The evacuees have been told their going on a grand adventure, the children will witness amazing things in their new country, and will not have to worry about bombs or rationing and they will eat lots of fresh food and get plenty sunshine.
The youngsters are leaving behind everything familiar, their family, and many are seasick, homesick and feel sad. Ruth makes friends with nurses Betty and Una and Bobby a New Zealander and fellow volunteer who seems to enjoy stirring Ruth up, when he helps her with Fergus and she can see he’s a nice man.
The story has a dual timeline, it’s set in the 1940’s and in 2005, and told from the two main female characters points of view Ruth and Hazel and I had no trouble following this.
Hazel is leaving New Zealand, to work as a pharmacist in London, her gramps drives her to the airport, and gives her a book with a green cover and tells her to read it on the plane. Hazel isn’t a seasoned traveler, she spills her drink all over a man in the airport and to her horror she's seated next to him on the plane. Hazel and Joe are going to be spending the next twenty two hours together, she pulls out the book, it’s about Ruth and what happened to her during the Second World War, she has no idea why her grandfather would have a copy, why give it to her now and Joe becomes just as interested.
I received a copy of The Girl from London by Olivia Spooner from Hachette Australia and New Zealand in exchange for an honest review. It’s a well written and enthralling story inspired by true events and it will stay with you and long after you have read the last page.
As a parent you have to make difficult choices and they didn’t have a crystal ball, the situation in England was grim and it was looking like the Germans would invade, and the guardians did what they thought was best at the time and sent their children overseas. The same applies for the chaperones, they wanted to help and this was their way of doing so. They formed close bonds with the children and it was very difficult for them to leave them once they arrived and then they faced the dangerous return journey home. Women and children suffered, fought bravely and made sacrifices too.
An emotional narrative that explores the CORB program, love, human spirit, resilience, the uncertainty of war, danger and loss. Five stars from me, I was really invested in this book, the characters and how they were all linked together.
Fergus McKenzie is reluctant to be with the two boys from his school in Glasgow, he promised his mam he would look after his little sister Rosie and he’s one of Ruth’s charges. The children and adults board the Batory, with a mixture of excitement, anticipation and dread. The evacuees have been told their going on a grand adventure, the children will witness amazing things in their new country, and will not have to worry about bombs or rationing and they will eat lots of fresh food and get plenty sunshine.
The youngsters are leaving behind everything familiar, their family, and many are seasick, homesick and feel sad. Ruth makes friends with nurses Betty and Una and Bobby a New Zealander and fellow volunteer who seems to enjoy stirring Ruth up, when he helps her with Fergus and she can see he’s a nice man.
The story has a dual timeline, it’s set in the 1940’s and in 2005, and told from the two main female characters points of view Ruth and Hazel and I had no trouble following this.
Hazel is leaving New Zealand, to work as a pharmacist in London, her gramps drives her to the airport, and gives her a book with a green cover and tells her to read it on the plane. Hazel isn’t a seasoned traveler, she spills her drink all over a man in the airport and to her horror she's seated next to him on the plane. Hazel and Joe are going to be spending the next twenty two hours together, she pulls out the book, it’s about Ruth and what happened to her during the Second World War, she has no idea why her grandfather would have a copy, why give it to her now and Joe becomes just as interested.
I received a copy of The Girl from London by Olivia Spooner from Hachette Australia and New Zealand in exchange for an honest review. It’s a well written and enthralling story inspired by true events and it will stay with you and long after you have read the last page.
As a parent you have to make difficult choices and they didn’t have a crystal ball, the situation in England was grim and it was looking like the Germans would invade, and the guardians did what they thought was best at the time and sent their children overseas. The same applies for the chaperones, they wanted to help and this was their way of doing so. They formed close bonds with the children and it was very difficult for them to leave them once they arrived and then they faced the dangerous return journey home. Women and children suffered, fought bravely and made sacrifices too.
An emotional narrative that explores the CORB program, love, human spirit, resilience, the uncertainty of war, danger and loss. Five stars from me, I was really invested in this book, the characters and how they were all linked together.
December 28, 2023
*https://www.instagram.com/mrsb_book_r...
🛳A poignant story inspired by true events that occurred in World War Two, The Girl from London is the debut historical fiction release from contemporary fiction novelist Olivia Spooner. Filled with bravery, hope, adventure, survival, grit, love, friendship, connections, protection and loss, this is an absorbing slice of home-grown historical fiction.
🛳Olivia Spooner’s latest release takes us from London to New Zealand, complete with a terrible on voyage tragedy that sees a ship bound for New Zealand shot down by the Germans. Those who survive this awful attack are taken prisoner and what ensues is a tale of sacrifice, persistence, faith and determination. Several decades later we are acquainted with Hazel, a young New Zealand woman who is about to begin her own journey across the globe from New Zealand to London. When Hazel receives a special gift from her grandfather upon her departure, she is taken on a journey back in time, to a story that links up to the war-torn voyage.
🛳I was very fortunate to receive a copy of Auckland based author Olivia Spooner's first foray into historical fiction, The Girl from London via a readalong organised by the folks at Tandem. I am a big fan of the historical fiction genre, particularly those books that have a more local connection. This story offered a nice link between London and New Zealand. It was refreshing to see a Commonwealth based historical fiction novel feature in a readalong group. I confess to knowing nothing at all about the Rangitane sea disaster that features in this tale and I also have very little knowledge about children evacuated overseas in the Second World War. The author’s ability to weave these elements into an engaging historical fiction novel was very admirable. Overall, I enjoyed the chivalry, relationships, comradery, secrets and connections in this past to present style narrative.
🙏Thank you @tandemcollectiveglobal @moapress @oliviaspoonerwriter
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🛳A poignant story inspired by true events that occurred in World War Two, The Girl from London is the debut historical fiction release from contemporary fiction novelist Olivia Spooner. Filled with bravery, hope, adventure, survival, grit, love, friendship, connections, protection and loss, this is an absorbing slice of home-grown historical fiction.
🛳Olivia Spooner’s latest release takes us from London to New Zealand, complete with a terrible on voyage tragedy that sees a ship bound for New Zealand shot down by the Germans. Those who survive this awful attack are taken prisoner and what ensues is a tale of sacrifice, persistence, faith and determination. Several decades later we are acquainted with Hazel, a young New Zealand woman who is about to begin her own journey across the globe from New Zealand to London. When Hazel receives a special gift from her grandfather upon her departure, she is taken on a journey back in time, to a story that links up to the war-torn voyage.
🛳I was very fortunate to receive a copy of Auckland based author Olivia Spooner's first foray into historical fiction, The Girl from London via a readalong organised by the folks at Tandem. I am a big fan of the historical fiction genre, particularly those books that have a more local connection. This story offered a nice link between London and New Zealand. It was refreshing to see a Commonwealth based historical fiction novel feature in a readalong group. I confess to knowing nothing at all about the Rangitane sea disaster that features in this tale and I also have very little knowledge about children evacuated overseas in the Second World War. The author’s ability to weave these elements into an engaging historical fiction novel was very admirable. Overall, I enjoyed the chivalry, relationships, comradery, secrets and connections in this past to present style narrative.
🙏Thank you @tandemcollectiveglobal @moapress @oliviaspoonerwriter
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November 2, 2023
Full Disclosure: I was given a copy of The Girl From London to read and review (the author runs a local bookshop near me – she’s like our very own Ann Patchett) and whenever that happens I get a bit nervous. What if I don’t like it? Thankfully I can report that this is a really emotional and engaging read which I simply tore through. I’ve read a few books lately that I had to work at, but this was an easy read.
I also found myself thinking about the characters when I wasn’t reading it and wondering what was happening in their lives. I absolutely love it when that happens and it's how I know that a book has really got under my skin.
The novel unfolds in dual timeframes. In WW2 London, a young schoolteacher called Ruth volunteers to travel to Australia as an escort for children being evacuated for the duration of the war. I knew that children were sent out of the main British cities, but I didn’t appreciate that many were also evacuated to Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It's such a heartbreaking thing to imagine - sending your children so far away and not knowing when or if you would see them again. Ruth forms a connection with Frank who is one of her charges and this was very endearing to read.
Travel by sea during the war was fraught with danger, and Olivia Spooner has woven in a real event which happened in 1940. I love it when historical fiction teaches me about events that I didn’t know about and this book did that.
The book’s other timeframe is about Hazel who is the granddaughter of one of the characters. She’s travelling to London and she meets a man called Joe on the plane. If I’m honest this part of the book didn’t really do it for me – romance is not my genre – but it allowed us to find out how things worked out for Ruth and Frank. The ending was immensely moving as I realised how much I had come to care about them.
I also found myself thinking about the characters when I wasn’t reading it and wondering what was happening in their lives. I absolutely love it when that happens and it's how I know that a book has really got under my skin.
The novel unfolds in dual timeframes. In WW2 London, a young schoolteacher called Ruth volunteers to travel to Australia as an escort for children being evacuated for the duration of the war. I knew that children were sent out of the main British cities, but I didn’t appreciate that many were also evacuated to Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It's such a heartbreaking thing to imagine - sending your children so far away and not knowing when or if you would see them again. Ruth forms a connection with Frank who is one of her charges and this was very endearing to read.
Travel by sea during the war was fraught with danger, and Olivia Spooner has woven in a real event which happened in 1940. I love it when historical fiction teaches me about events that I didn’t know about and this book did that.
The book’s other timeframe is about Hazel who is the granddaughter of one of the characters. She’s travelling to London and she meets a man called Joe on the plane. If I’m honest this part of the book didn’t really do it for me – romance is not my genre – but it allowed us to find out how things worked out for Ruth and Frank. The ending was immensely moving as I realised how much I had come to care about them.
June 22, 2024
I liked the storyline but the writing was so bad.
February 15, 2025
as i was reading it i was thinking it was all far too mushy gushy and the author apparently thought the same when she got to writing the last 20 pages because she kind of went full atonement and now im emo.
Upon reflection of all the historical fiction novels i’ve read with female protagonists, i really love how all of them champion the female friendships and how important they are to resilience and survival in times of war. like, yes. i would also absolutely survive war if i was with my girlfriends.
Upon reflection of all the historical fiction novels i’ve read with female protagonists, i really love how all of them champion the female friendships and how important they are to resilience and survival in times of war. like, yes. i would also absolutely survive war if i was with my girlfriends.
December 7, 2025
Two generations of explorers are brought to life in this easy to digest historical novel, part set in WWII and part in the modern day.
March 22, 2025
I am a sucker for a war novel, and will always give Kiwi authors a chance. This was an easy read, with the time jumps working to move the narrative along. I just felt that some things moved too quick, or a situation jumped to a tidy end in a bit of a hurry. Enjoyed the scene of Florrie and Una wrapping up Ruth’s story - and the reality of Ruth and Bobby not ending up together is the reality of war, so that felt realistic.
Glad the author included the pages at the end outlining the story of the Rangitane, which I hadn’t heard before.
Glad the author included the pages at the end outlining the story of the Rangitane, which I hadn’t heard before.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2023
As soon as I read the synopsis of The Girl from London, I knew that this would be a stellar read. Unique from many other WW2 historical fiction, we steer away from Occupation and Jewish plight and instead, focus on those unsung heroes that set out to save the multitude of children evacuated from harm.
Who knew that friendly nations played host to the millions of children and passenger ships were used in such a way? I was also unaware of such horrible hostile actions against these vessels, often taking survivors as prisoners. Olivia has drawn inspiration from such one, The Rangitane as part of events.
I also was unaware of the part New Zealand played in WW2 ( apart from the ANZAC's of course). Australia's neighbour doesn't get enough representation in fiction, so this was a refreshing delight.
Narrative wise, I felt Ruth was the stronger voice. This is essentially her story after all and I just love how it was portrayed, playing out in Hazel and Joe's linear time. It's confronting, dramatic, romantic and tender all at once.
Fergus is one lad I won't forget in a hurry either. He's the epitome of any child who deserves a second chance at happiness. His tale is just as important as Ruth's, who formed an unlikely bond with him during their time sailing the seas.
Olivia Spooner, thankyou for this.
5 🌟
Who knew that friendly nations played host to the millions of children and passenger ships were used in such a way? I was also unaware of such horrible hostile actions against these vessels, often taking survivors as prisoners. Olivia has drawn inspiration from such one, The Rangitane as part of events.
I also was unaware of the part New Zealand played in WW2 ( apart from the ANZAC's of course). Australia's neighbour doesn't get enough representation in fiction, so this was a refreshing delight.
Narrative wise, I felt Ruth was the stronger voice. This is essentially her story after all and I just love how it was portrayed, playing out in Hazel and Joe's linear time. It's confronting, dramatic, romantic and tender all at once.
Fergus is one lad I won't forget in a hurry either. He's the epitome of any child who deserves a second chance at happiness. His tale is just as important as Ruth's, who formed an unlikely bond with him during their time sailing the seas.
Olivia Spooner, thankyou for this.
5 🌟
January 8, 2024
Absolutely loved this booked. I knew nothing about the Childrens Reception Board (CORB) evacuation scheme . Such brave children and their escorts travelling all that way during WW2. Also knew nothing about the sinking of the Rangitane and the subsequent events that followed. This book makes you think not to take anything for granted.
August 30, 2025
This was such a great book, I love a war romance and this was so insightful and heartbreaking.
The only negative is that some of the scenes felt like they moved on really fast. I had to check a few times that I hadn’t missed anything as I felt like it jumped ahead.
The only negative is that some of the scenes felt like they moved on really fast. I had to check a few times that I hadn’t missed anything as I felt like it jumped ahead.
August 14, 2024
Outstanding read. A wonderful blend of romance and thrills… considering it’s inspired by true events it’s an incredible story. I look forward to reading more from Olivia Spooner.
January 21, 2025
An easy summer read. Probably more of a 3.5, but the parts about Ruth’s story had me hooked and I just had to keep reading (almost Colleen Hoover esque). Historical fiction isn’t my usual genre of choice, but I enjoyed learning about this aspect of WW2. The parts with Hazel and Joe were a little annoying - I don’t think I’ve ever talked that much to a stranger on a plane, so I found their storyline a tad unbelievable. Overall, an interesting and easy read.
January 27, 2025
For Jess: A super easy read - you could do it in one sitting. It was interesting to learn more about the children who were evacuated to the dominions during WW2 (I knew a little bit as I’d been to an exhibition in London) and the tremendous sacrifice of the adults who accompanied them. I always love hearing stories of every day heroes during wartime and this book is a reminder that it isn’t just those who were on the battlefield that we are indebted to.
November 21, 2025
Personally i would have rated the book 4 stars as it is a bit OTT on the romance side (especially the present day component) and is not normally the sort of book I would read. But stepping back and looking at it objectively it is well crafted, compelling and a good yarn. All the more so given that it highlights an aspect of WW2 that I was not previously aware of.
February 19, 2024
A good read revolving around the evacuation of children from UK and having them shipped to Commonwealth countries including NZ. The wartime bombing of the Rangitane less than 48 hours after leaving Auckland was used as a basis for her story.
January 28, 2024
A great book, very enjoyable.
February 22, 2025
Interesting to get a perspective on the impact of war on women and children.
September 29, 2025
Really liked but ending was way too rushed
December 16, 2025
Holy crap!
This book was phenomenal. I am obsessed.
I loved how Olivia wrote the books as it was very easy to read. If I didn't have to do other things, I could see how this book would have been bingeable.
The story felt so raw and was very emotional.
This book was phenomenal. I am obsessed.
I loved how Olivia wrote the books as it was very easy to read. If I didn't have to do other things, I could see how this book would have been bingeable.
The story felt so raw and was very emotional.
December 30, 2025
A lovely story and an easy read to get back into the reading zone. A story of two young women, one from 1940s England and one from present day NZ, both moving across the world in search of something they feel missing from their lives. Based on some true experiences from WW2 sources found by chance by the author.
November 19, 2023
Fantastic read. It was a page turner, so much so that I read it in a few days. I loved the intertwined stories and characters of Hazel and Ruth. So good reading a WWII story from another perspective and the NZ angle was naturally woven through. Romance, drama and history the perfect genre.
May 10, 2024
Recommend it another aspect of nz history and well written will put it in book club
January 13, 2025
The historical story is great. I’m intrigued to learn about what happened to this ship and its passengers returning from NZ to UK. The modern story I found quite boring and unnecessary. I didn’t find the writing engaging either.
April 5, 2025
The potential to be such a good book, but honestly not enough story development.
September 24, 2024
I think I would have liked this book more if I wasn’t in a reading slump. It has a great story line, I found it interesting. 3.5/5. It has potential
December 23, 2023
The start has a really interesting concept of escorting children overseas via ship to escape the WW2. Plus a modern POV travelling the opposite direction overseas at the same time
The characters at the beginning were really well rounded and drew me in! I loved the best friend of the 1940s POV! She was so fun in her scenes and I wanted to know more about her. I was also curious about the mother and what would happen to her. The FMCs fiance definitely had a lot of personality as well
It sounded like a really interesting adventure they were about to embark on!
But the three characters I was interested in had very little to do with the rest of the book, and when trying to connect with other characters such as Betty and Uma it just didn't click as much. I felt the writing wasn't as clear about later characters' feelings and intentions. The only character I did connect with more was Fergus because he was focused on quite a bit
The interesting part of the first leg of their trip was the meeting of their love interests, but both the FMCs and MMCs were unavailable in one way or other. This took some of the fun out of the relationships for me, though their meets were cute, and the 1940s POV had an enemies to lovers type of vibe!
With so much travel, this book kind of lost my interest at certain points, but the ending did bring back my attention! The way it ended was very different from how I expected it to end, and I love that in a book
Overall, The Girl from London had a good story with some loveable characters and cute love stories. It just wasn't the book for me, I think!
➛ 𝟐.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘢 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
The characters at the beginning were really well rounded and drew me in! I loved the best friend of the 1940s POV! She was so fun in her scenes and I wanted to know more about her. I was also curious about the mother and what would happen to her. The FMCs fiance definitely had a lot of personality as well
It sounded like a really interesting adventure they were about to embark on!
But the three characters I was interested in had very little to do with the rest of the book, and when trying to connect with other characters such as Betty and Uma it just didn't click as much. I felt the writing wasn't as clear about later characters' feelings and intentions. The only character I did connect with more was Fergus because he was focused on quite a bit
The interesting part of the first leg of their trip was the meeting of their love interests, but both the FMCs and MMCs were unavailable in one way or other. This took some of the fun out of the relationships for me, though their meets were cute, and the 1940s POV had an enemies to lovers type of vibe!
With so much travel, this book kind of lost my interest at certain points, but the ending did bring back my attention! The way it ended was very different from how I expected it to end, and I love that in a book
Overall, The Girl from London had a good story with some loveable characters and cute love stories. It just wasn't the book for me, I think!
➛ 𝟐.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘢 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
April 9, 2024
What a completely captivating, heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit inspired by little known true events in WWII.
The dual timeline of the novel had me intrigued as to how the story would come full circle, with an ending I wasn’t expecting. I found the events in the story, though horrific at times, were told with such sensitivity.
I was vaguely aware of children being sent to safety in the UK during WWII but hadn’t realised some were sent as far away as New Zealand. Imagine sending your children that far away with so much unknown as to the future.
And the story of the Rangitane will stay with me long after I turn the final page. This was another part of history I was unaware of prior to picking up this book. Just another reason why I love historical fiction so much.
The dual timeline of the novel had me intrigued as to how the story would come full circle, with an ending I wasn’t expecting. I found the events in the story, though horrific at times, were told with such sensitivity.
I was vaguely aware of children being sent to safety in the UK during WWII but hadn’t realised some were sent as far away as New Zealand. Imagine sending your children that far away with so much unknown as to the future.
And the story of the Rangitane will stay with me long after I turn the final page. This was another part of history I was unaware of prior to picking up this book. Just another reason why I love historical fiction so much.
April 11, 2024
A really interesting premise, this story was set during the early years of WW2 and told through the eyes of Ruth, who takes a perilous journey escorting children to the safety of Australia. A lot happened and bring based on true events, this really should have been a compelling story. I mean in the hands of another author I’d have been balling my eyes out! Unfortunately due to the writing style, I always felt detached from the characters and as a consequence didn’t love this book as much as I’d have liked. 2.5/5
February 16, 2024
Great story but the writing didn’t do it for me.
October 17, 2024
What a great story - loved it. A must read for us Kiwis.
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