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The Restless Years #2
From the Ashes
Four women. Three families. One decade of incredible change.
Auckland,1956. Allie Manaia works at Smith and Caughey's department store. It's been two years since the Dunbar and Jones fire, where some of her friends perished, but she still has nightmares. Allie and her husband, Sonny, are desperate for a baby, after losing a child, and Allie's distress at not conceiving again is compounded when those around her seem to have no trouble falling pregnant - even when they shouldn't.
Allie's neighbours have recently moved to suburban Auckland. Ana, now a housewife, misses her work on the farm, but she has her hands full, looking after her increasingly forgetful father-in-law.
Kathleen Lawson - rich, lonely and bored - is one of Allies' customers at the make-up counter. Kathleen takes a shine to Allie, but when she discovers Allie's husband is Maori, Kathleen's attitude changes. Is she trying to make friends or poison the relationship between Sonny and Allie?
Sonny's beautiful younger sister, Polly, is living a vibrant but wayward life as a waitress-model-goodtime girl while leaving her young daughter to be raised by her mother. Then one day Polly disappears ...
Told in Deborah Challinor's trademark style - equal parts heart and humour - From the Ashes is the first in a moving new trilogy that follows the fortunes of the women of three families through the rapidly changing social and cultural landscape of the 1950s and 1960s.
Praise for Deborah Challinor:
'Challinor is a good storyteller ... seamlessly joining fact and fiction and creating a convincing,
atmospheric yarn' Bookseller + Publisher
'the perfect blend of fact and fiction' New Zealand Herald
Auckland,1956. Allie Manaia works at Smith and Caughey's department store. It's been two years since the Dunbar and Jones fire, where some of her friends perished, but she still has nightmares. Allie and her husband, Sonny, are desperate for a baby, after losing a child, and Allie's distress at not conceiving again is compounded when those around her seem to have no trouble falling pregnant - even when they shouldn't.
Allie's neighbours have recently moved to suburban Auckland. Ana, now a housewife, misses her work on the farm, but she has her hands full, looking after her increasingly forgetful father-in-law.
Kathleen Lawson - rich, lonely and bored - is one of Allies' customers at the make-up counter. Kathleen takes a shine to Allie, but when she discovers Allie's husband is Maori, Kathleen's attitude changes. Is she trying to make friends or poison the relationship between Sonny and Allie?
Sonny's beautiful younger sister, Polly, is living a vibrant but wayward life as a waitress-model-goodtime girl while leaving her young daughter to be raised by her mother. Then one day Polly disappears ...
Told in Deborah Challinor's trademark style - equal parts heart and humour - From the Ashes is the first in a moving new trilogy that follows the fortunes of the women of three families through the rapidly changing social and cultural landscape of the 1950s and 1960s.
Praise for Deborah Challinor:
'Challinor is a good storyteller ... seamlessly joining fact and fiction and creating a convincing,
atmospheric yarn' Bookseller + Publisher
'the perfect blend of fact and fiction' New Zealand Herald
448 pages, Paperback
Published November 19, 2018
141 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Challinor
24 books249 followersBorn in Huntly, she holds a PhD in New Zealand history from the University of Waikato. Challinor has worked as a fulltime writer and historian since 2000.
Primarily known for her historical novels, Deborah Challinor’s first published books were non-fiction history books, including the best-selling Grey Ghosts: New Zealand Vietnam Vets Talk About Their War (Hodder Moa Beckett, 1998).
Her first historical novel, Tamar, was published in 2002 and has been reprinted six times. Tamar is set in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and South Africa and covers the period from 1879 until the Boer War. The series continues with White Feathers (2003) and Blue Smoke (2004).
Union Belle (2005) tells the love story of a young woman caught up in the 1951 waterfront strike, and Kitty (2006) is set in the Bay of Islands in nineteenth century New Zealand. Both novels have been at the top of the New Zealand fiction bestseller list.
Attention to historical detail is an important part of writing for Challinor. ‘I base my novels on actual historical events, and it’s very important to me to research those events in depth and to present them accurately,’ she says.
Reviewing Union Belle in North and South magazine in April 2005, Warwick Roger commented that: ‘You can smell the beer and cigarette smoke in the public bar of the Huntly Hotel, hear the band at the Saturday night dances at the miner’s hall … it’s a book I kept sneaking back to whenever I had a spare quarter hour, eager to advance the story.’
Fire (HarperCollins, 2007), Challinor's seventh novel, is set in Auckland during the hype leading up to the royal visit of 1953, but is based on the Ballantyne’s department store fire of 1947 in Christchurch. A powerful and dramatic story of passion, ambition and greed, it became a number one bestseller.
Amber, the sequel to Kitty, was published later in 2007 and also became a bestseller. Amber opens in New Zealand in 1945, on the eve of the Northern War in the Bay of Islands, in which Kitty is caught up. Sent to Auckland away from the fighting, Kitty encounters an orphaned part-Maori girl she names Amber. Together they return to the Bay of Islands, where both Kitty must risk her own life to save Amber’s.
Isle of Tears (HarperCollins NZ Ltd, 2009) is a story about 14-year-old Scottish immigrant Isla McKinnon and her younger brothers and sister. When they are orphaned they are adopted by Taranaki Maori and become caught up in the wars in Taranaki, the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.
A revised edition of Challinor’s Grey Ghosts (HarperCollins NZ) was published in 2009. This edition included a new chapter on how the New Zealand Vietnam veteran community has fared since the book was first published in 1998.
Primarily known for her historical novels, Deborah Challinor’s first published books were non-fiction history books, including the best-selling Grey Ghosts: New Zealand Vietnam Vets Talk About Their War (Hodder Moa Beckett, 1998).
Her first historical novel, Tamar, was published in 2002 and has been reprinted six times. Tamar is set in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and South Africa and covers the period from 1879 until the Boer War. The series continues with White Feathers (2003) and Blue Smoke (2004).
Union Belle (2005) tells the love story of a young woman caught up in the 1951 waterfront strike, and Kitty (2006) is set in the Bay of Islands in nineteenth century New Zealand. Both novels have been at the top of the New Zealand fiction bestseller list.
Attention to historical detail is an important part of writing for Challinor. ‘I base my novels on actual historical events, and it’s very important to me to research those events in depth and to present them accurately,’ she says.
Reviewing Union Belle in North and South magazine in April 2005, Warwick Roger commented that: ‘You can smell the beer and cigarette smoke in the public bar of the Huntly Hotel, hear the band at the Saturday night dances at the miner’s hall … it’s a book I kept sneaking back to whenever I had a spare quarter hour, eager to advance the story.’
Fire (HarperCollins, 2007), Challinor's seventh novel, is set in Auckland during the hype leading up to the royal visit of 1953, but is based on the Ballantyne’s department store fire of 1947 in Christchurch. A powerful and dramatic story of passion, ambition and greed, it became a number one bestseller.
Amber, the sequel to Kitty, was published later in 2007 and also became a bestseller. Amber opens in New Zealand in 1945, on the eve of the Northern War in the Bay of Islands, in which Kitty is caught up. Sent to Auckland away from the fighting, Kitty encounters an orphaned part-Maori girl she names Amber. Together they return to the Bay of Islands, where both Kitty must risk her own life to save Amber’s.
Isle of Tears (HarperCollins NZ Ltd, 2009) is a story about 14-year-old Scottish immigrant Isla McKinnon and her younger brothers and sister. When they are orphaned they are adopted by Taranaki Maori and become caught up in the wars in Taranaki, the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.
A revised edition of Challinor’s Grey Ghosts (HarperCollins NZ) was published in 2009. This edition included a new chapter on how the New Zealand Vietnam veteran community has fared since the book was first published in 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 30, 2021
Ana, husband David and their children had had to leave their farm after David’s father’s decline in health. They were upset to leave it all behind but settling into Auckland in 1956 would be a new beginning for them. The children settled well but David’s work took him away for days at a time, so Ana found herself in the unenviable position of caring for her increasingly unstable father-in-law. She loved Jack, but when it got to the stage where he no longer remembered them, something had to change…
Allie Manaia had worked at the Dunbar & Jones department store and still had vivid memories of the fire, the screams and the friends she lost. Working at Smith & Caughey’s two years after the fire found Allie increasingly tormented by nightmares; moreso since she and her husband Sonny lost their daughter Hana at four months old. Sonny’s young sister Polly was mother to three-year-old Gina who lived with her grandmother while Polly worked. Gina’s sunny nature captivated all her Maori relatives, and when Polly unexpectedly disappeared, things changed.
Allie’s sisters, Donna and Pauline, their mother Colleen and father Sid, were people of their generation. Supportive, caring and ready to help always, Donna and Pauline both tested their parent’s love over the years…
From the Ashes by Australian/New Zealand author Deborah Challinor is the 2nd in The Restless Years series and I loved it. Set in an era of change, From the Ashes follows on from Fire and the gentle pace of the story tells of Pakeha and Maori families going about their lives, working, women having babies, the cultural impacts of various events, and the blending of the two cultures. I found this a wonderful read, one I recommend highly.
Allie Manaia had worked at the Dunbar & Jones department store and still had vivid memories of the fire, the screams and the friends she lost. Working at Smith & Caughey’s two years after the fire found Allie increasingly tormented by nightmares; moreso since she and her husband Sonny lost their daughter Hana at four months old. Sonny’s young sister Polly was mother to three-year-old Gina who lived with her grandmother while Polly worked. Gina’s sunny nature captivated all her Maori relatives, and when Polly unexpectedly disappeared, things changed.
Allie’s sisters, Donna and Pauline, their mother Colleen and father Sid, were people of their generation. Supportive, caring and ready to help always, Donna and Pauline both tested their parent’s love over the years…
From the Ashes by Australian/New Zealand author Deborah Challinor is the 2nd in The Restless Years series and I loved it. Set in an era of change, From the Ashes follows on from Fire and the gentle pace of the story tells of Pakeha and Maori families going about their lives, working, women having babies, the cultural impacts of various events, and the blending of the two cultures. I found this a wonderful read, one I recommend highly.
October 26, 2025
#ReadAroundTheWorld #New Zealand
This is the second book in the Restless Years series by New Zealand author and historian Deborah Challinor, although this fact was lost on me until after reading it, so it seems it can be read as a standalone novel. Apparently the first novel, Fire, depicts the Dunbar and Jones store disaster, based on the historical 1947 Ballantynes’ Department Store fire in Christchurch, which killed 41 people.
This story is set in 1950s Auckland and follows the lives of three different families as they navigate this period of intense change and shifting social mores. The book is well researched and paints a picture of a city struggling with racism, sexism, and conservative attitudes towards contraception, abortion and single motherhood.
Allie Manaia works at Smith and Caughey's department store. She still has nightmares reliving the Dunbar and Jones fire two years earlier, where some of her friends perished. She and her husband, Sonny, are desperate to conceive again after tragically losing their baby daughter. This feels even harder to bear when her unmarried relatives are falling pregnant and pursuing abortions.
Allie's neighbours are new to Auckland, Ana and David having moved to the city after losing their farm. Ana misses the farm but finds herself busy looking after her father-in-law Jack who is losing both his memory and his good humour. Ana’s saving grace is the knitting business she and some of the women set up.
Kathleen Lawson is one of Allies' customers at the make-up counter; a wealthy, but unhappy housewife with a sense of superiority and class-consciousness. Kathleen initially tries to befriend Allie but is disconcerted to discover that Allie’s husband is Māori.
Sonny's beautiful younger sister, Polly, is living a life as a waitress-come-prostitute, leaving her daughter to be raised by her mother. Then one day Polly disappears.
This is a gently moving story that creates the atmosphere of 1950s Auckland, with both the Pakeha and Māori families living their daily lives through their jobs, family connections and ties. It emphasises the class consciousness of the time, the haves and have nots and the social prejudices. This was a pleasant read but suffered from losing focus by having too many characters.
This is the second book in the Restless Years series by New Zealand author and historian Deborah Challinor, although this fact was lost on me until after reading it, so it seems it can be read as a standalone novel. Apparently the first novel, Fire, depicts the Dunbar and Jones store disaster, based on the historical 1947 Ballantynes’ Department Store fire in Christchurch, which killed 41 people.
This story is set in 1950s Auckland and follows the lives of three different families as they navigate this period of intense change and shifting social mores. The book is well researched and paints a picture of a city struggling with racism, sexism, and conservative attitudes towards contraception, abortion and single motherhood.
Allie Manaia works at Smith and Caughey's department store. She still has nightmares reliving the Dunbar and Jones fire two years earlier, where some of her friends perished. She and her husband, Sonny, are desperate to conceive again after tragically losing their baby daughter. This feels even harder to bear when her unmarried relatives are falling pregnant and pursuing abortions.
Allie's neighbours are new to Auckland, Ana and David having moved to the city after losing their farm. Ana misses the farm but finds herself busy looking after her father-in-law Jack who is losing both his memory and his good humour. Ana’s saving grace is the knitting business she and some of the women set up.
Kathleen Lawson is one of Allies' customers at the make-up counter; a wealthy, but unhappy housewife with a sense of superiority and class-consciousness. Kathleen initially tries to befriend Allie but is disconcerted to discover that Allie’s husband is Māori.
Sonny's beautiful younger sister, Polly, is living a life as a waitress-come-prostitute, leaving her daughter to be raised by her mother. Then one day Polly disappears.
This is a gently moving story that creates the atmosphere of 1950s Auckland, with both the Pakeha and Māori families living their daily lives through their jobs, family connections and ties. It emphasises the class consciousness of the time, the haves and have nots and the social prejudices. This was a pleasant read but suffered from losing focus by having too many characters.
December 25, 2018
An interesting insight into New Zealand culture in the 50s, told in Deborah Challinor's distinctive voice.
October 25, 2019
Obviously very well researched. But I found that it spilled too many repetitive details, like the route to take from point A to point B, which bus to catch, which tram, etc it almost feels like the author was an ambasador of Auckland Transport on the 50ies. Also she adores so much Smith and Caughey (who’s not?!) and most of characters working and hanging there, but hey it’s a great way to discover the old NZ and learn the history.
September 5, 2019
I really enjoyed this book based in 1950s nz when people were coming to the cities for work. Had a few laughs and a few tears
October 9, 2020
I really enjoyed the change of pace with this. Surprisingly, it was a comforting book, like sitting down with a warm blanket around you reading about NZ life in the 1950’s. I rate a book well when I realise that I am thinking about it, looking forward to sitting down with it, while going about daily life and when I choose to read it at night instead of watching TV. It’s a well researched, dose of daily life lacking in excitement compared to mystery or thriller. I read the first in this series which was amusing but not as good as this one.
May 29, 2022
This is the 2nd book in "The Restless Years" I enjoyed Fire which was loosely based on the Ballentynes fire in Christchuch but the book is set in Auckland its more to do with racist undertones in 1950's unwed mothers and abortion which I realised was where my parents had got there mild racism from
April 13, 2020
From the Ashes, Deborah Challinor. Review from NZ Booksellers website
The newest historical saga from renowned New Zealand author Deborah Challinor, From the Ashes tells a tale set in the 1950s – and of three families caught in a simultaneously exhilarating and frustrating decade of change.
From the Ashes is a standalone novel, but it is also a sequel-of-sorts to Challinor’s 2006 novel Fire, which depicted the Dunbar and Jones disaster (based on the 1947 Ballantynes’ Department Store fire in Christchurch – a disaster which killed 41 people).
Reappearing in From the Ashes, Allie and Sonny Manaia are now living in the metropolis of Auckland. Only two years on from the Dunbar and Jones fire, Allie is working on the Elizabeth Arden counter at the fashionable Smith and Caughey’s Department Store. As she tries to navigate a workplace that constantly reminds her of her friends who perished, Allie is left to struggle with her vivid nightmares and day-long ‘battle exhaustion’ (what we would now consider to be post-traumatic stress disorder) without help. As well as suffering their own personal tragedy in the recent loss of their baby daughter, Allie and Sonny are forced to face daily societal criticism for their mixed-race marriage.
One of the characters expressing disapproval is Kathleen Lawson, a woman with the wealth to shop at Smith and Caughey’s. A regular customer of Allie’s, it becomes clear that Kathleen is desperately lonely and bored. Trapped in an unhappy marriage with equally unhappy children – no matter how much she tries to present her ideal of a ‘perfect family’ – Kathleen is also trapped within her old-fashioned societal ideals and obsession with class, which are both quickly becoming redundant.
Spanning multiple generations and a myriad of characters, From the Ashes is an ambitious novel. It glimpses into the life of Allie’s elderly nan Rose, her hard-working mother Colleen Roberts, and her two younger sisters, Donna, who is training as a nurse, and Pauline, who is feeling lost as she tries to figure out what she wants from life. Sonny also has a younger sister – vibrant Polly who is leading a life on the lucrative underside of Auckland’s social scene.
From the Ashes tells of an age of social intolerance – especially in the city of Auckland, where signs stating ‘No Dogs, No Māoris’ were common.
From the Hawkes’ Bay, Kura Apanui and her friend Wiki Irwin know first-hand the trouble of discrimination. Living in squalid rental houses, not only do the families have trouble finding work that will accept them, but their large families are forced into cramped conditions – so different to the wide spaces and pleasant houses of the country. Kura’s cousin Ana has also been forced to moved from Hawkes’ Bay, and has challenges of her own – not only does she have to look after her own children, but she also has to look after her father-in-law, Jack, who suffers from a debilitating form of dementia. Focussing on the personal cost that caring can take, Challinor’s novel also explores the inhumane conditions of some 1950s hospitals.
In a decade that was especially difficult for women, From the Ashes is told solely through their eyes. Highlighting the importance of family and friendship, the novel also explores the serious discriminations of the time; the stigma attached to working women and unmarried mothers; the prejudices that led to people falling through the cracks created by society; and the burgeoning age of consumerism. With Smith and Caughey’s Department Store at the heart of the novel, there is a clear gap between those characters choosing to buy refrigerators and telephones, and those characters who can barely afford to buy food.
An easy read, From the Ashes is impeccable in its historical detail. Never over-explaining, historian and celebrated author Deborah Challinor creates a believable replica of 1950s Auckland and the people who may have inhabited it. While there are possibly too many characters – as some appear and then seemingly are lost to the story – the compelling readability makes up for the novel’s seemingly disparate nature. A long read, From the Ashes is a good holiday novel for those who enjoy historical sagas depicting a vibrant period of change.
The newest historical saga from renowned New Zealand author Deborah Challinor, From the Ashes tells a tale set in the 1950s – and of three families caught in a simultaneously exhilarating and frustrating decade of change.
From the Ashes is a standalone novel, but it is also a sequel-of-sorts to Challinor’s 2006 novel Fire, which depicted the Dunbar and Jones disaster (based on the 1947 Ballantynes’ Department Store fire in Christchurch – a disaster which killed 41 people).
Reappearing in From the Ashes, Allie and Sonny Manaia are now living in the metropolis of Auckland. Only two years on from the Dunbar and Jones fire, Allie is working on the Elizabeth Arden counter at the fashionable Smith and Caughey’s Department Store. As she tries to navigate a workplace that constantly reminds her of her friends who perished, Allie is left to struggle with her vivid nightmares and day-long ‘battle exhaustion’ (what we would now consider to be post-traumatic stress disorder) without help. As well as suffering their own personal tragedy in the recent loss of their baby daughter, Allie and Sonny are forced to face daily societal criticism for their mixed-race marriage.
One of the characters expressing disapproval is Kathleen Lawson, a woman with the wealth to shop at Smith and Caughey’s. A regular customer of Allie’s, it becomes clear that Kathleen is desperately lonely and bored. Trapped in an unhappy marriage with equally unhappy children – no matter how much she tries to present her ideal of a ‘perfect family’ – Kathleen is also trapped within her old-fashioned societal ideals and obsession with class, which are both quickly becoming redundant.
Spanning multiple generations and a myriad of characters, From the Ashes is an ambitious novel. It glimpses into the life of Allie’s elderly nan Rose, her hard-working mother Colleen Roberts, and her two younger sisters, Donna, who is training as a nurse, and Pauline, who is feeling lost as she tries to figure out what she wants from life. Sonny also has a younger sister – vibrant Polly who is leading a life on the lucrative underside of Auckland’s social scene.
From the Ashes tells of an age of social intolerance – especially in the city of Auckland, where signs stating ‘No Dogs, No Māoris’ were common.
From the Hawkes’ Bay, Kura Apanui and her friend Wiki Irwin know first-hand the trouble of discrimination. Living in squalid rental houses, not only do the families have trouble finding work that will accept them, but their large families are forced into cramped conditions – so different to the wide spaces and pleasant houses of the country. Kura’s cousin Ana has also been forced to moved from Hawkes’ Bay, and has challenges of her own – not only does she have to look after her own children, but she also has to look after her father-in-law, Jack, who suffers from a debilitating form of dementia. Focussing on the personal cost that caring can take, Challinor’s novel also explores the inhumane conditions of some 1950s hospitals.
In a decade that was especially difficult for women, From the Ashes is told solely through their eyes. Highlighting the importance of family and friendship, the novel also explores the serious discriminations of the time; the stigma attached to working women and unmarried mothers; the prejudices that led to people falling through the cracks created by society; and the burgeoning age of consumerism. With Smith and Caughey’s Department Store at the heart of the novel, there is a clear gap between those characters choosing to buy refrigerators and telephones, and those characters who can barely afford to buy food.
An easy read, From the Ashes is impeccable in its historical detail. Never over-explaining, historian and celebrated author Deborah Challinor creates a believable replica of 1950s Auckland and the people who may have inhabited it. While there are possibly too many characters – as some appear and then seemingly are lost to the story – the compelling readability makes up for the novel’s seemingly disparate nature. A long read, From the Ashes is a good holiday novel for those who enjoy historical sagas depicting a vibrant period of change.
July 24, 2022
In 1950s Auckland things are changing - and fast. Women are joining the workforce in numbers, whitegoods are readily available and the age of rock'n' roll has arrived.
Allie Manaia works the Elizabeth Arden counter at Smith and Caughey's. It's been two years since the Dunbar and Jones fire, where some of her friends perished, but she still has nightmares.
Kathleen Lawson -- rich, lonely and bored -- is one of Allie's customers. Kathleen takes a shine to Allie, but when Kathleen discovers Allie's husband is Maori, her attitude changes. Is she trying to make friends or poison the relationship between Sonny and Allie?
Meanwhile, Sonny's beautiful younger sister, Polly, is embracing the more relaxed moral standards of the era, living a vibrant but wayward life as a waitress-model-goodtime girl while leaving her young daughter in the care of her mother.
As each woman navigates the shifting social and cultural landscape of the 1950s, she is faced with new possibilities and decisions - with freedom comes joy, but also fear and, occasionally, mistakes.
The Salvation Army ran private maternity Bethany Homes in Russell,Auckland,Gisborne,Napier,Wellington,Christchurch,and Dunedin.These homes witnessed developments in women's rights,sexual health,birth and parenthood.
Although change was in the air,general attitudes towards sex,contraception and abortion remained largely conservative,especially in regard to single women.With few options available,many women sought help from organisations like Bethany,to support them during pregnancy and birth,and make plans for the future.Bethany contributed significantly to developments in maternity care and adoption procedures.Bethany's reputation stood in stark contrast to other maternity homes in NZ.Other homes ill-treated women.Women were sexually abused by medical staff,performed hard labour whilst heavily pregnant,having their babies forcibly adopted without their permission,and being slapped and refused pain relief.These types of homes were meant to reform the "fallen" ways and correct the moral compasses of women who had extramarital sex,be that consensual or not.
Allie Manaia works the Elizabeth Arden counter at Smith and Caughey's. It's been two years since the Dunbar and Jones fire, where some of her friends perished, but she still has nightmares.
Kathleen Lawson -- rich, lonely and bored -- is one of Allie's customers. Kathleen takes a shine to Allie, but when Kathleen discovers Allie's husband is Maori, her attitude changes. Is she trying to make friends or poison the relationship between Sonny and Allie?
Meanwhile, Sonny's beautiful younger sister, Polly, is embracing the more relaxed moral standards of the era, living a vibrant but wayward life as a waitress-model-goodtime girl while leaving her young daughter in the care of her mother.
As each woman navigates the shifting social and cultural landscape of the 1950s, she is faced with new possibilities and decisions - with freedom comes joy, but also fear and, occasionally, mistakes.
The Salvation Army ran private maternity Bethany Homes in Russell,Auckland,Gisborne,Napier,Wellington,Christchurch,and Dunedin.These homes witnessed developments in women's rights,sexual health,birth and parenthood.
Although change was in the air,general attitudes towards sex,contraception and abortion remained largely conservative,especially in regard to single women.With few options available,many women sought help from organisations like Bethany,to support them during pregnancy and birth,and make plans for the future.Bethany contributed significantly to developments in maternity care and adoption procedures.Bethany's reputation stood in stark contrast to other maternity homes in NZ.Other homes ill-treated women.Women were sexually abused by medical staff,performed hard labour whilst heavily pregnant,having their babies forcibly adopted without their permission,and being slapped and refused pain relief.These types of homes were meant to reform the "fallen" ways and correct the moral compasses of women who had extramarital sex,be that consensual or not.
October 10, 2024
I wish these books came with a note of which order to read in as I picked up the “Jacaranda house” first on whim and started there- I saw no reference to any others but alas- it appears there’s a series called “the restless years”
All appear to be standalone however after then reading the “Leonard girls” and now just having finished this one- they are all very much connected and I wish I had started with FIRE which I just realized is another one to read.
However- each one doesn’t give too much away and they don’t exactly follow on where they left off.
I absolutely loved this one!
All the women and friendships and intertwined family connections
I didn’t love the rather abrupt ending as I wanted it to keep going!
The author could easily continue writing about some of the other women in these novels and I really hope she does!
All appear to be standalone however after then reading the “Leonard girls” and now just having finished this one- they are all very much connected and I wish I had started with FIRE which I just realized is another one to read.
However- each one doesn’t give too much away and they don’t exactly follow on where they left off.
I absolutely loved this one!
All the women and friendships and intertwined family connections
I didn’t love the rather abrupt ending as I wanted it to keep going!
The author could easily continue writing about some of the other women in these novels and I really hope she does!
January 24, 2020
From the Ashes is classic Challinor. Those who read her books will have an expectation of what to expect.
This story doesn't disappoint and follows on from her novel Fire. Nice to follow the characters and see how Challinor has their lives planned out. Also interesting to see how she has set up the storylines and characters for the next story and the next decade.
I found the story lumbered under too many details. I know that Challinor likes to fill the pages with New Zealand history, but sometimes I didn't think they added anything beneficial to the story.
This story doesn't disappoint and follows on from her novel Fire. Nice to follow the characters and see how Challinor has their lives planned out. Also interesting to see how she has set up the storylines and characters for the next story and the next decade.
I found the story lumbered under too many details. I know that Challinor likes to fill the pages with New Zealand history, but sometimes I didn't think they added anything beneficial to the story.
December 27, 2019
Great book for showing a snapshot of Auckland in the 1950s. Poor editing though with many of the names being confused, particularly towards the end.
September 8, 2020
Interesting to read
Four women. Three families. One decade of incredible change.
Auckland,1956. Allie Manaia works at Smith and Caughey's department store. It's been two years since the Dunbar and Jones fire, where some of her friends perished, but she still has nightmares. Allie and her husband, Sonny, are desperate for a baby, after losing a child, and Allie's distress at not conceiving again is compounded when those around her seem to have no trouble falling pregnant - even when they shouldn't.
Allie's neighbours have recently moved to suburban Auckland. Ana, now a housewife, misses her work on the farm, but she has her hands full, looking after her increasingly forgetful father-in-law.
Kathleen Lawson - rich, lonely and bored - is one of Allies' customers at the make-up counter. Kathleen takes a shine to Allie, but when she discovers Allie's husband is Maori, Kathleen's attitude changes. Is she trying to make friends or poison the relationship between Sonny and Allie?
Sonny's beautiful younger sister, Polly, is living a vibrant but wayward life as a waitress-model-goodtime girl while leaving her young daughter to be raised by her mother. Then one day Polly disappears ...
Told in Deborah Challinor's trademark style - equal parts heart and humour - From the Ashes is the first in a moving new trilogy that follows the fortunes of the women of three families through the rapidly changing social and cultural landscape of the 1950s and 1960s.
Four women. Three families. One decade of incredible change.
Auckland,1956. Allie Manaia works at Smith and Caughey's department store. It's been two years since the Dunbar and Jones fire, where some of her friends perished, but she still has nightmares. Allie and her husband, Sonny, are desperate for a baby, after losing a child, and Allie's distress at not conceiving again is compounded when those around her seem to have no trouble falling pregnant - even when they shouldn't.
Allie's neighbours have recently moved to suburban Auckland. Ana, now a housewife, misses her work on the farm, but she has her hands full, looking after her increasingly forgetful father-in-law.
Kathleen Lawson - rich, lonely and bored - is one of Allies' customers at the make-up counter. Kathleen takes a shine to Allie, but when she discovers Allie's husband is Maori, Kathleen's attitude changes. Is she trying to make friends or poison the relationship between Sonny and Allie?
Sonny's beautiful younger sister, Polly, is living a vibrant but wayward life as a waitress-model-goodtime girl while leaving her young daughter to be raised by her mother. Then one day Polly disappears ...
Told in Deborah Challinor's trademark style - equal parts heart and humour - From the Ashes is the first in a moving new trilogy that follows the fortunes of the women of three families through the rapidly changing social and cultural landscape of the 1950s and 1960s.
November 3, 2018
Kiwi author Deborah Challinor is an experienced storyteller with a clutch of fifteen best selling novels to her name, including the series Children of War, Convict Girls and Smuggler's Wife. From the Ashes is her new standalone novel based in 1950's Auckland.
As a New Zealander of a certain age I found it both exciting and interesting to look back to that era, when there was a sort of innocence abroad as our country segued from the impact on our society from World War Two to the modern world that seemed to take an age to land on our shores.
One aspect of the change was the arrival of women in the workplace, prompted initially by them stepping up to roles vacated by their men sent overseas to war. Smith and Caughey's was the very epitome of high class shopping back then, and that's where we find both shoppers and the girls behind the beauty counter in "From the Ashes"
Then there's the new arrivals from country cities and towns struggling to make their way in the Big Smoke. Deborah Challinor takes us to the heart of these families and workplaces always through the eyes and ears of the women.
Meet Allie, Manaia, the rich and bored Kathleen Lawson, beautiful young Polly who is walking on the lucrative wild side of Auckland's social scene. These female characters are real and fully fledged, and that's what makes From the Ashes such a rewarding read.
As a New Zealander of a certain age I found it both exciting and interesting to look back to that era, when there was a sort of innocence abroad as our country segued from the impact on our society from World War Two to the modern world that seemed to take an age to land on our shores.
One aspect of the change was the arrival of women in the workplace, prompted initially by them stepping up to roles vacated by their men sent overseas to war. Smith and Caughey's was the very epitome of high class shopping back then, and that's where we find both shoppers and the girls behind the beauty counter in "From the Ashes"
Then there's the new arrivals from country cities and towns struggling to make their way in the Big Smoke. Deborah Challinor takes us to the heart of these families and workplaces always through the eyes and ears of the women.
Meet Allie, Manaia, the rich and bored Kathleen Lawson, beautiful young Polly who is walking on the lucrative wild side of Auckland's social scene. These female characters are real and fully fledged, and that's what makes From the Ashes such a rewarding read.
July 3, 2020
This story was so interesting. Despite being based in Auckland, where I live, it showed me how much has changed. Things were familiar, yet distinctly different. There was ingrained racism and privilege for certain characters. Parts of Auckland which would be very wealthy today, were poor and rundown. There was a significant "Britishness" despite this being New Zealand. This surprised me. I really enjoyed the interwoven stories, and how each sister was living their life based on love, and whether or not they would be able to have a baby, it made me very thankful for contraception. I absolutely loved this story and can't wait for the next installment in the series.
April 13, 2023
Loved reading about Auckland back in the fifties. Especially about how different places like Ponsonby were back then... Growing up in the sixties and seventies, they were still a bit like the places described in the story. Also fascinating hearing about someone working on the build of Auckland's Harbour bridge and the tragedies that occurred. Led me to research more about it. Surprised there hasn't been a movie made around those stories. The characters are very real and are a good insite into life for young Moari people at that time. Entwined with other interesting NZ history including stories about Taranaki were interesting for a Kiwi. A really easy and enjoyable read.
October 7, 2021
It was a pleasure to delve into the lives of New Zealanders in the 50s/60s. This story is about Anna who has to move to Auckland with her family after loosing the family farm. Next door is Colleen with 3 daughters. Add to the mix are Kura and Wiki, Anna's cousins, and their large families. Getting to know these woman and their struggles and joys was enjoyable and allowed Deborah to explore so many topics; racism, trauma, ageing, marriage, death, abortion, work and society.
July 19, 2020
A sprawling family saga set in 1950's New Zealand. There is a lot that is familiar here, and some nice social history spread throughout the novel. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of life in the Bethany Homes, familiar to kiwi readers of my age !
A pleasant read by one of New Zealand's popular authors.
A pleasant read by one of New Zealand's popular authors.
January 30, 2023
I enjoy Deborah Challinor's books. "From the Ashes" follows on from her book "Fire". It's is a very realistic and interesting reminder of what life in New Zealand was like in the 50's. She doesn't try to cover up the unsavoury aspects. The language is real and the characters are very real. It's worth reading.
March 12, 2019
A good read. Lovely local locations and ethics of the time.
The story rolls along.
The 3? Sometimes the writing gets in the way and the connections become confusing. Some aspects a bit contrived but nevertheless a great read.
The story rolls along.
The 3? Sometimes the writing gets in the way and the connections become confusing. Some aspects a bit contrived but nevertheless a great read.
March 22, 2019
A step back into 1950's Auckland, as several interconnected Maori and Pakeha families go about life, having babies, working, knitting and dealing with cultural stigmas. New Zealand narrator added to the story nicely.
January 23, 2021
Read Fire some years ago so it was good to see some more of these lives, and a view of New Zealand about the time I was born and growing up, from different perspectives. She creates such believable characters, ordinary woman who find themselves and achieve things.
April 5, 2021
Absolutely loved this story.
New Zealand at that time captured perfectly .
Thank goodness many of us have moved on from that narrow and puritanical way thinking. Still a way to go though.
Loved how the characters developed .
Thanks for writing yet another super story of our country . 🙏
New Zealand at that time captured perfectly .
Thank goodness many of us have moved on from that narrow and puritanical way thinking. Still a way to go though.
Loved how the characters developed .
Thanks for writing yet another super story of our country . 🙏
April 10, 2022
This would be a great Bookclub read. A book set in the mid to late 1950s and there are so many social issues here, that are so different to today. Hard to imagine the changes that have taken place in my lifetime, and yet there are also issues that could still be relevant today.
April 12, 2022
Easy to read, likeable characters... I'm really enjoying continuing the story from the first book and can't wait to get started on the 3rd one in the series... I just wish I knew I little more about New Zealand.
April 5, 2023
Deborah Challinor is consistent in her depiction of an era. The 1950s Auckland was brought to life through the detail in the characters and the setting. Reading about the Ponsonby slums was interesting, considering Ponsonby is anything but a slum today.
July 1, 2023
From the Ashes
I wasn’t sure to start with whether I would enjoy this read or not. Happened to say I did. Having grown up in this era in NZ I was able to relate to a lot of the social stigma towards our Māori and unwed mothers. I’m going to read the next book.
I wasn’t sure to start with whether I would enjoy this read or not. Happened to say I did. Having grown up in this era in NZ I was able to relate to a lot of the social stigma towards our Māori and unwed mothers. I’m going to read the next book.
November 4, 2018
Couldn't put it down. Another good book from a favourite author
November 8, 2018
I couldn't finish this book. I thought the writing style was more suitable for a much younger reader and I just found it irritating.
November 30, 2018
Great New Zealand story looking forward to the next book
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