Sea Change

by Jenny Pattrick

A tsunami has devastated a small Kapiti Coast community. The government mandates managed retreat – a decision manipulated by Adrian Stokes, a powerful businessman with an agenda of his own.

A resourceful and colourful collection of villagers defy the order to retreat. They persuade reclusive Lorna, blind Toddy and young, traumatised Eru to join them as their properties are key to Stokes's plans.

It soon becomes apparent that to survive they must work together. Close bonds are formed, and problems are solved in surprising ways. Stokes tries repeatedly to uproot the determined community, but it seems he has underestimated their resilience and adaptability.

This riveting and charming story of survival by award-winning author Jenny Pattrick celebrates tenacity, self-sufficiency, and a fierce love of home, even against dire odds.

Genres: Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2025

About the author

Jenny Pattrick is an acclaimed historical novelist, whose The Denniston Rose, and its sequel Heart of Coal, are among New Zealand's bestselling novels. In 2009 she received the New Zealand Post Mansfield Fellowship. She has been active in the arts community, and has also written stories, songs and shows for children.

Jenny Pattrick has been awarded the OBE for services to the arts, the 1990 medal, is featured in the Wellington Girls' College Hall of Fame and has received the NZ Post Katherine Mansfield Prize.

Reviews

[Anna Loder]

I didn’t even know this was the novel I wanted to read. Thank you so much to Benson for sending me a copy. This was fantastic. Cli-fi fantasticness, SO much to think about. When an earthquake and tsunami hit this coastal town in New Zealand the community is well and truly on their own..eventually when government assistance does come it’s accompanied by a mandatory exit plan. But what would you do? Stay and live with the environment or leave everything? What a premise!!! I believed everyone’s character- I can absolutely agree with a review I read that Jenny Pattrick does fantastic characters!!! Loved it and so glad I got to read it!!!

[Karen Kozuls]

Clever, topical and well written. Very enjoyable.

[Deborah]

An engrossing topical read with a clear message about climate change and local and national policies to address the issue. But despite the sobering underlying message this story is delightful and full of heart.

The characters who decide to remain in their beachside homes after a tsunami are wonderful. As the disparate personalities gradually become a united community full of resourcefulness and genuine care for each other, they battle against power, money and greed, in the form of villain, Adrian Stokes.

Such a satisfying read.

[Sharon N]

2.5 🌟 Good premise but got a bit twee and predictable

[Nadine]

Easy read. Feel good kind of book

[Helen Cummings]

Such a charming story with wonderful characters working together to create a tight knit community against the forces of nature and bureaucracy. It took me back to the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes when people devised devious methods to enter the red zone and worked together to help each other in numerous ways. A recommended read.

[Mrs Moa]

4.5⭐️

We're introduced to a small remote town on the Kapiti coast.

Disaster strikes when an earthquake hits Aotearoa New Zealand, soon followed by a tsunami, which absolutely devastates this village .

While some houses are still habitable, unfortunately, infrastructure has been destroyed. They were remote before but now they're completely isolated.

They weren't the only ones affected by this earthquake in New Zealand and the government makes a decision that the repairs the town require are too costly and so they order what they call a mandated retreat, which means that the villagers, with compensation, will have to abandon the homes.

However, there are some people who live here that love their community and their way of life, they don't want to leave so they form a plan to stay and continue to survive by drawing on the existing skills of their people. With a wife team who are plumbers accessing water for the village, a medical professional and an intelligent crafts people, they come together to make it work.

Unfortunately, there is an outside influence who does not want to see them succeed.
There is a rich gentleman who owns property on this island he has devised that once all these people have left this land, the government will sell the island for very, very cheap, and he wants to create a resort.

There is a lot of different forces that this multicultural group are fighting against and it makes for an amazing story.

I love the characters tenacity, their bravery, their smarts, their wit, their resilience and resourcefulness.

I was sent this book by the publisher and all opinions are my own.

[Michele Harrod]

This was lent to me. I’ve not read any of her previous books but now realise she’s quite a reknowned NZ Author. As I read it I imagined an older author, as the language was very proper. But a delightful read all the same and a thought-provoking insight into the shenanigans that undoubtedly do go on amongst the entitled elite, not just here in Nz but all around the world, when disaster offers them an opportunity to profit!! This story offers, I hope, some ideas about what should happen to more of them!!!

[Philippa]

A 3.5 rating. Heartwarming story of a community (a thinly disguised Paekākari) banding together and surviving against various odds after an earthquake and tsunami cut it off from transport (except boat), water, electricity etc.
It illustrates "Kiwi ingenuity" and some things we'll have to deal with if faced with situations like this. Get to know your neighbours now!
Easy to read, affectionately drawn characters, good pace and momentum. It started out well, and carried me along, although I wanted more of the intrigue that seemed to be promised early on. Some bits were not quite believable, such as [SPOILER ALERT] Adrian the developer signing documents without apparently reading them, and some of the stuff about Oranga Tamariki.
The use of language seemed just slightly old-fashioned - in keeping I suppose with the age of the main character Lorna.
[SPOILER ALERT] When Lorna reveals to Toddy her experience of being raped earlier on in life, it lacked emotional power - seemed she described it in too matter of fact a way. It was I gather a pivotal event that made her shy away from intimate relationships, but as a reader I didn't really feel her emotion around it.

[Kirsten McKenzie]

I started reading this on a flight from Auckland to Darwin, and finished it on the same flight. Was complete engrossed.
I wasn't 100% on board with the ending around the antagonist, hence only 4 stars, whereas the rest of the book was a 5 star read. Loved the side characters and the ingenuity of the town's inhabitants.
Very timely cli-fi (climate fiction). Honestly, if you don't believe in climate change, I suggest you speak to some insurance companies, because they certainly do. And this book is basically a "why you need a disaster kit" reason if you live on a coastline anywhere in the world.

[Robyn Davill]

A quite unusual story set on the Kapiti coast on the North Island of NZ. The author describes in detail a tsunami occurring from the viewpoint of a small coastal village and some of its residents. Most of the book follows a small group of residents who wish to remain and not be evacuated. The government decides not to support that village anymore as it is too vulnerable to inundation with sea water.
the residents face all sorts of challenges not the least the ruthless developer/neighbour next door. It is an uplifting story of varied neighbors finding common ground and building strong relationships and a sense of family.

[Sue Luus]

I really enjoyed this novel. Interesting characters with soul. A little disappointed with the final chapter although it brought the novel to a satisfying conclusion — just a little too preachy. The characters, through their actions, had already made it clear that might is not always right and that the truly blind are often those who are physically able to see. It wasn’t necessary, in my opinion, to explain this.

[Anna Batten]

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. The writing style is interesting, lots of dialogue and thought reporting. But I found it heartwarming, witty and satisfying, and really enjoyed the read after a slowish start. The characters grow throughout the book, and I really got a sense of getting to know them.

[Deanna Walker]

I absolutely adored this book! Incredible, thoughtful characters, and a truly engaging plot - what would you do if you were pressured to evacuate from the place you call home? Loved this read. Jenny Pattrick is amazing.

[Maria Cantrell]

I really enjoyed this novel by Jenny Pattrick, set in NZ, and depicting a possible emergency evacuation scenario. It felt very possible. But it fills one with hope as the group who decide to stay share their talents and work together to become a loving, supportive community.

[Fiona Jay]

Gosh I've read some great books this year and this is one of the best! A gripping, harrowing and heart-warming story of community versus self-interest. Who will win? In the vein of Patricia Grace's Pōtiki, with the addition of natural disaster.

[Heather Riddell]

A great inside into a potential catastrophic natural disaster here in NZ and how human experience and resilience within a community can survive. Written with humour and well resourced. It is not a matter of if, but when.

[Mariana]

That was interesting, I really enjoyed that. The premise of an earthquake and tsunami and the fallout of a managed retreat is a topical issue to explore in this form. A different kind of writing style stripped down to bare essentials, but the story carries it.

[Alana Hay]

4.5 ⭐️

[Jean]

A great Kiwi book in a recognizable New Zealand setting. Believable characters and a great story with heart.

[Penny White]

Nice read, wee bit predictable! But enjoyable!

[Lucy]

started strong, finished a bit loose and there were definitely some plot holes that were too easily filled... also, disability as a metaphor?! again?! Lord, no.

[Claire]

Delightful story. Set in contemporary NZ, dealing with current issues and fun characters. An enjoyable read.

[Libby]

I enjoyed this book. Was a bit drawn out in the middle and didn’t finish on a particularly strong note. Love the premise though and it was so different to any other books I had read.

[Emma]

Loved this!

[Callum Booth-Lewis]

Birnam Wood, but cosy.

[Judy]

I enjoyed this story for the characters. They were fun and plausible even if the situation was contrived (though possible). Well- written and easy to read.