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Totally Devoted
Proof at last that there is such a thing as true love - only we don't always recognise it when it first appears. It can strike at the worst possible time, or it can happen just when you need it most. From wartime romances to cross-cultrual liaisons, from first encounters to live in the twilight years, and from passion across the miles to love in adversity, this collection of heart-warming stories reveals the rich variety of experiences New Zealanders have when falling in love. These wonderful, honest stories, all of them true, confirm that love really does exist - and remind you it doesn't always happen exactly as you might expect.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
3 people want to read
About the author
Sue McCauley
17 books3 followersMcCauley, Sue (1941 –), fiction writer, scriptwriter and journalist, was born in Dannevirke, grew up on a farm in rural southern Hawke's Bay and was a boarder at Nelson GC.
She worked as a copywriter and journalist in Napier, Wellington, New Plymouth and Christchurch, beginning her writing career with radio and TV plays and short stories in the 1970s.
Her first novel Other Halves (1982) won both the Wattie Book of the Year Award and the New Zealand Book Award for Fiction. An autobiographically based account of a relationship between a separated Pakeha mother and a much younger Maori man, it explored ethnic, gender, age and class differences. It has been frequently reprinted, selling more than 20,000 copies, and was made into a feature film.
Her second novel, Then Again (1986), is set on an offshore subtropical island and deals with the increasingly intertwined lives of several residents.
Bad Music (1990) focuses on the relationships between an ageing rock musician, a young woman half his age and the girl’s mother.
A Fancy Man (1996) also involves an apparent mismatch between an older man and a much younger woman.
McCauley’s novels are characterised by a mix of humour, realism and compassion, with strong sympathy for the underdog. She has also written many scripts for film, television and radio and has published numerous short stories. She has worked as a teacher of scriptwriting and fiction and as a judge of story competitions.
She edited (with Richard McLachlan) Erotic Writing (1992), and wrote the text of Escape from Bosnia: Aza’s Story (1996), the narrative being worked up from recorded interviews.
She was writer-in-residence at the universities of Auckland (1986) and Canterbury (1993). After living in various parts of the North Island 1970s–80s she moved with her husband to Christchurch in 1990.
She worked as a copywriter and journalist in Napier, Wellington, New Plymouth and Christchurch, beginning her writing career with radio and TV plays and short stories in the 1970s.
Her first novel Other Halves (1982) won both the Wattie Book of the Year Award and the New Zealand Book Award for Fiction. An autobiographically based account of a relationship between a separated Pakeha mother and a much younger Maori man, it explored ethnic, gender, age and class differences. It has been frequently reprinted, selling more than 20,000 copies, and was made into a feature film.
Her second novel, Then Again (1986), is set on an offshore subtropical island and deals with the increasingly intertwined lives of several residents.
Bad Music (1990) focuses on the relationships between an ageing rock musician, a young woman half his age and the girl’s mother.
A Fancy Man (1996) also involves an apparent mismatch between an older man and a much younger woman.
McCauley’s novels are characterised by a mix of humour, realism and compassion, with strong sympathy for the underdog. She has also written many scripts for film, television and radio and has published numerous short stories. She has worked as a teacher of scriptwriting and fiction and as a judge of story competitions.
She edited (with Richard McLachlan) Erotic Writing (1992), and wrote the text of Escape from Bosnia: Aza’s Story (1996), the narrative being worked up from recorded interviews.
She was writer-in-residence at the universities of Auckland (1986) and Canterbury (1993). After living in various parts of the North Island 1970s–80s she moved with her husband to Christchurch in 1990.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 11, 2007
This is the kind of book that is great for just sitting back and enjoying the interesting and different stories of love from a range of generations. Love is a topic that everyone feels differently about. Some of us believe in love at first sight, some believe it takes time to fall in love. Whatever one believes, this book will open your eyes to the possibilities and surprises that love brings to our lives.
One of my favourite parts in the book was from a story by Nichelle Armstrong called 'The Endangered Species'.
"How amazing true love is, allowing you to see and to hear things that cannot be heard or seen by people with no love in their hearts." (p.209)
One of my favourite parts in the book was from a story by Nichelle Armstrong called 'The Endangered Species'.
"How amazing true love is, allowing you to see and to hear things that cannot be heard or seen by people with no love in their hearts." (p.209)
August 22, 2021
Mature short stories of love. Not really my thing but not terrible.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews