Trust: A True Story of Women & Gangs

by Pip Desmond

Extraordinary insight into New Zealand women's lives with gangs.In 1977 an idealistic young doctor's daughter, fresh out of university, knocked on the door of a run-down old house in inner-city Wellington. She was greeted by a woman in a Black Power T-shirt with metal in her nose and a spidery tattoo on her left cheek. 'Whaddya want?' the woman growled. So began Pip Desmond's extraordinary time as a member of Aroha Trust, a work cooperative set up in the heady years of feminism, community activism and the first stirrings of the Maori renaissance. For three years this unique, unruly group of girls did physical 'men's work', lived together, and stood side by side against a backdrop of gang violence, police harassment and a society that didn't want to know. When the government changed the rules for relief work, Aroha Trust folded, but the friendships endured. Trust tells the women's stories - much of it in their own words - with the respect and compassion that comes from a shared bond over 30 years. By turns angry, funny, hair-raising, tender, frightening and heartbreaking, the New Zealand Post Book Awards-winning Trust above all celebrates the women's struggles to overcome their pasts and build a future for their children. As a unique insight into New Zealand's social history and a way to understand women and gangs, it is without peer.

Genres: Nonfiction

396 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Maxine B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read on the disadvantages of women, Maori in particular, in the late 70's, New Zealand. It tells of their hardships in growing up in abusive families and their affiliations with gangs.

[Ashleigh Hoare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book written about women who spent their lives on the periphery of gangs, in gang families, or in relationships with gang members
• based in Wellington, Aroha Trust was set up as a not for profit organisation aimed at getting gang-linked women into employment, developing their skills, expanding their ties to the community, and to offer support
• these women did amazing things together and for a time were incredibly successful despite the challenges that come with disadvantaged upbringings, institutional racism and sexism, and being a woman in a gang environment
• an inspiring read with many harrowing tales, this is worth a read for anyone who has an interest in gangs and needs some exposure to the experiences of women in these contexts

Smashed it out in 6 hours and will likely read again 📚

[Ashley Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sounds like one written by your friend. Maybe because it was. Pip gives an interesting insight into gangs and the 1970s in NZ, which I knew next-to-nothing about. In that way, it is great. However, she lacks the pizazz of a real writer, or the interesting golden thread or anecdotes to overcome that. As such, it was an alright book and I am glad I read it, but would only recommend to people who want to learn about the time period or hear a story about Maori women in gangs.