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We Can Make A Life
Hours after the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake, Kaikōura-based doctor Chris Henry crawled through the burning CTV building to rescue those who were trapped. Six years later, his daughter Chessie interviews him in an attempt to understand the trauma that led her father to burnout, in the process unravelling stories and memories from her own remarkable family history.
Chessie rebuilds her family’s lives on the page, from her parents’ honeymoon across Africa, to living in Tokelau as one of five children under ten before returning to New Zealand, where her mother would set her heart and home in the Clarence Valley only to see it devastated in the 2016 Kaikōura Earthquake, and the family displaced.
Written with the same love and compassion that defines her family’s courage and strength, We Can Make a Life is an extraordinary memoir about the psychological cost of heroism, home and belonging, and how a family made a life together.
Chessie rebuilds her family’s lives on the page, from her parents’ honeymoon across Africa, to living in Tokelau as one of five children under ten before returning to New Zealand, where her mother would set her heart and home in the Clarence Valley only to see it devastated in the 2016 Kaikōura Earthquake, and the family displaced.
Written with the same love and compassion that defines her family’s courage and strength, We Can Make a Life is an extraordinary memoir about the psychological cost of heroism, home and belonging, and how a family made a life together.
253 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2018
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989 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
August 26, 2018
I read this in a single sitting, weeping copiously in parts that resonate so strongly with me as a father and as a rural GP.
Chris Henry, whose story features most prominently in this family memoir is a personal friend and colleague and in a small way my own story intersects with this one but I don’t think it’s that connection alone that triggered my emotions.
Chessie writes this biographical story of a family going through extraordinary pressure really well, her turns of phrase, and raw honesty, draw clear pictures of how a family survives.
Chris Henry, whose story features most prominently in this family memoir is a personal friend and colleague and in a small way my own story intersects with this one but I don’t think it’s that connection alone that triggered my emotions.
Chessie writes this biographical story of a family going through extraordinary pressure really well, her turns of phrase, and raw honesty, draw clear pictures of how a family survives.
January 19, 2019
I just returned back to the US from my first visit to New Zealand, a three week tour of the South Island with a group of students. I wanted to pick up a book by a local author, and We Can Make a Life caught my eye because I enjoy memoirs and I wanted to learn more about both of the South Island's most recent devastating earthquakes. The first part of the book about the author's family and their adventures was quite interesting. Embedded in the memoir are perceptions of Down's syndrome in two different cultures in which the family lived and the sustainability of future rural healthcare with a shortage of physicians who can be afflicted with mental health issues from overworking.
But the recounting of both the 2011 Christchurch quake and the 2016 Kaikōura quake was truly riveting. I'm glad I had visited before reading the book because I recognized many of the place names, but I can see it still being accessible and interesting to those unfamiliar with the country. I witnessed ongoing construction in Christchurch's downtown even 7 years after the quake, and now I understand why the rebuild took so long. And after learning about the Kaikōura quake, I'm amazed that the road along the coast and tourist facilities are open just two years after. It's worth visiting to observe resiliency.
As I read, I continued to be surprised that this is the author's first book. Other than minor editorial mistakes that should've been caught by the editor or proofreader, the book is very well-written and engaging. Henry writes with maturity, as well as a rawness and emotional honesty, which are critical qualities given the topics in the book. She's concerned that she'll regret her "emotional, unedited writing," but that's what makes her story feel REAL. She effectively, but not excessively, uses descriptive language that places the reader right where her mind is - "It was as though the ground had been picked up at the corners and billowed out like a duvet, new folds in place where it came to rest at our feet." I'll definitely keep an eye out for her next book.
But the recounting of both the 2011 Christchurch quake and the 2016 Kaikōura quake was truly riveting. I'm glad I had visited before reading the book because I recognized many of the place names, but I can see it still being accessible and interesting to those unfamiliar with the country. I witnessed ongoing construction in Christchurch's downtown even 7 years after the quake, and now I understand why the rebuild took so long. And after learning about the Kaikōura quake, I'm amazed that the road along the coast and tourist facilities are open just two years after. It's worth visiting to observe resiliency.
As I read, I continued to be surprised that this is the author's first book. Other than minor editorial mistakes that should've been caught by the editor or proofreader, the book is very well-written and engaging. Henry writes with maturity, as well as a rawness and emotional honesty, which are critical qualities given the topics in the book. She's concerned that she'll regret her "emotional, unedited writing," but that's what makes her story feel REAL. She effectively, but not excessively, uses descriptive language that places the reader right where her mind is - "It was as though the ground had been picked up at the corners and billowed out like a duvet, new folds in place where it came to rest at our feet." I'll definitely keep an eye out for her next book.
June 6, 2020
I devoured this beautifully written memoir and sat for hours afterwards, reflecting, intermittently overwhelmed and overly conscious of the tears in my eyes. Aptly described as a tribute to family and courage, I expect it is not too early to label this my favorite book of the year.
Well done Henry's, You Can Make a Life.
Well done Henry's, You Can Make a Life.
January 21, 2020
I LOVED this book.
Endearingly candid and beautifully honest - I laughed, I cried and I was absolutely shook by the twists in the story of the Henry family.
I can’t remember the last time I was so consumed by a book, let alone a piece of nonfiction.
It’s only January, but I already know this will be my favourite book of 2020.
Everyone must read!
Endearingly candid and beautifully honest - I laughed, I cried and I was absolutely shook by the twists in the story of the Henry family.
I can’t remember the last time I was so consumed by a book, let alone a piece of nonfiction.
It’s only January, but I already know this will be my favourite book of 2020.
Everyone must read!
Read
March 1, 2019“We cried down the phone, frightened by how fragile everything seemed, another reminder that nothing was sacred, that everything was up for grabs - your child, your home, the ground under your feet.”
I adored this memoir, about a family whose personal lives are punctuated by life’s ups and downs, and mother nature’s whimsy. Much like any family, it could be yours or mine. I felt like I knew them by the end of the book, as if I’d gone through the ups and downs with them. It was a very intimate experience, which I can only imagine might be really weird for a memoir writer! Imagine the thought of strangers knowing all these details about your private moments, the best and worst and everything in between! So much appreciation for the bravery it took to share it all and I can only hope that it helped in some way to know that the various readers can now also help to serve as memory keepers. I, for one, am glad to have read it and grateful to the author for sharing her family’s story. She talks about feeling embarrassed by her sentimental writing, but maybe I’m a sentimental reader! I never really feel comfortable giving a rating to what is someone’s personal story but I thought it was brilliant, as was the writing, and would highly recommend 👌🏽
I adored this memoir, about a family whose personal lives are punctuated by life’s ups and downs, and mother nature’s whimsy. Much like any family, it could be yours or mine. I felt like I knew them by the end of the book, as if I’d gone through the ups and downs with them. It was a very intimate experience, which I can only imagine might be really weird for a memoir writer! Imagine the thought of strangers knowing all these details about your private moments, the best and worst and everything in between! So much appreciation for the bravery it took to share it all and I can only hope that it helped in some way to know that the various readers can now also help to serve as memory keepers. I, for one, am glad to have read it and grateful to the author for sharing her family’s story. She talks about feeling embarrassed by her sentimental writing, but maybe I’m a sentimental reader! I never really feel comfortable giving a rating to what is someone’s personal story but I thought it was brilliant, as was the writing, and would highly recommend 👌🏽
January 24, 2022
Engaging and beautiful read. Chessie is a wonderful story-teller, sharing important messages through her family‘s life.
January 25, 2021
Chessie Henry mentions early on her discomfort around 'sentimental writing', but that's what makes this memoir one of my favourite reads of all time. Kia kaha to the mighty families and rural health professionals of Canterbury ♡
September 5, 2021
Whilst reading this, I've found myself telling everyone in my family about it.
"I'd learnt what we all realise one way or another - that our parents are just people, and they don't have all the answers or do the right things. They stumble along, good intentions and sometimes bad decisions, making it up as they go, hoping for the best."
"As much as I have built a home in Wellington, Clarence is at my centre, the jump-rock from which I spring...
the river pulls us into her quickly, holding our weight. We cling on to our paddles, driving them into the water and feeling it swell against our grip, propelling us forwards. Our laughter startles some wild goats. The trees sweep up into knotted bush, summer mountains still with their lingering smudges of snow."
"Christchurch doesn't feel like my place anymore. So many of the places I knew back then have changed, been lost and then rebuilt in a different way. But I still carry Christchurch around with me. It never feels defeated; the city only seems to rise and rise - sprawling murals painted on the sides of red stickered half destroyed buildings..."
"I'd learnt what we all realise one way or another - that our parents are just people, and they don't have all the answers or do the right things. They stumble along, good intentions and sometimes bad decisions, making it up as they go, hoping for the best."
"As much as I have built a home in Wellington, Clarence is at my centre, the jump-rock from which I spring...
the river pulls us into her quickly, holding our weight. We cling on to our paddles, driving them into the water and feeling it swell against our grip, propelling us forwards. Our laughter startles some wild goats. The trees sweep up into knotted bush, summer mountains still with their lingering smudges of snow."
"Christchurch doesn't feel like my place anymore. So many of the places I knew back then have changed, been lost and then rebuilt in a different way. But I still carry Christchurch around with me. It never feels defeated; the city only seems to rise and rise - sprawling murals painted on the sides of red stickered half destroyed buildings..."
April 19, 2024
Read in a few sittings, it was so gripping - thanks for sharing so much of your story. I hope the Henry whānau are doing well as a few years have passed since the memoir was published. Sadly the state of affairs for rural GPs has likely only got worse in that time too 😭
January 7, 2019
If only I could sculpt words like Chessie can to give this book the review it deserves. From start to finish I was capitivated, entertained, and moved. Thanks Chessie.
December 22, 2023
It’s a difficult book to rate and review, as it’s someone’s reality - this is not my typical genre, however, it was pretty raw and incredibly personal. It would be hard for anyone to read and not connect to it. I remember hearing about the 2011 earthquake on the news and by chance moved to NZ not long after. I recalled that memory when I arrived and saw what Christchurch looked like, 2 years on and still devastated. I met people, heard their stories and then a few years later felt the aftershocks from the Kaikoura quake all of which added to an already emotional read.
June 23, 2019
Finished: 23.06.2019
Genre: memoir
Rating: C
Conclusion:
Chessie Henry celebrates
her close-knit family
with their trials and triumphs.
Genre: memoir
Rating: C
Conclusion:
Chessie Henry celebrates
her close-knit family
with their trials and triumphs.
June 15, 2021
I loved this very personal story of Chessie Henry's family. Her writing is beautiful and I found the book captivating - well worth reading.
June 9, 2020
Disappointing.
Nervous prose, broken fourth wall.
Good on her for doing so well though!
Nervous prose, broken fourth wall.
Good on her for doing so well though!
August 12, 2023
This was one of the best books I have read this year! Reading the first few chapters, I was in floods from homesickness. Then the rest of the book, in floods from the beautiful writing about Chessies family and what they experienced during the earthquakes. So grateful for sharing this with us.
August 26, 2018
What a gorgeous, personal book this is. Chessie delves deeply into her own family mythology to try and find meaning in the events that shaped the family. Ostensibly about her father and his role as a rural doctor and in helping during the Christchurch earthqukes, We Can Make A Life is so much bigger than this. It is about the bonds of family and how they can fracture and break, yet heal to creat something stronger than before. It is about the work it takes to make a life together. It is about sacrifice and the small things that are so, so important.
Beautifully written, and heartbreakingly honest, this has quickly become one of this years' best reads for me. I read the whole thing in a day, but am sure I will go back again to dip into single chapters just to re-savour the words.
Beautifully written, and heartbreakingly honest, this has quickly become one of this years' best reads for me. I read the whole thing in a day, but am sure I will go back again to dip into single chapters just to re-savour the words.
December 9, 2021
I loooved this book! A very emotional and nostalgic book about Chessie's life with a big focus on her amazing family. Her Dad was a first responder in the Christchurch earthquake (at the CTV building) and the Kaikoura earthquake. So eye-opening about the realities of being an overworked and under resourced rural doctor who has to do it all, and the incredible toll it takes on the mind and body. I loved how this book was written, with Chessie breaking the fourth wall and talking about the writing process throughout. She speaks about how she worries that her writing can seem too nostalgic but I thought it was great.
January 26, 2024
Very, very good memoir about Chessie’s family especially her dad is was a rural GP around the Christchurch and Otago earthquakes.
August 21, 2019
Chessie Henry is a young New Zealand writer who has penned this account of her family. It starts off with her parents' stories and gradually encompasses the five children as well. This is not a remarkable family. No one dies, no one saves the world, no one becomes famous. However their story does wind around the recent earthquakes in Christchurch and Kaikoura and it is also about the stresses of being a rural doctor (which doesn't feel like a uniquely New Zealand issue). Moreover it is beautifully written, so you care about these people. You study the photos intently and wish you too could be part of this warm unit. This memoir won the best first book award in the NZ Ockham Book Awards and it fully deserved to do so.
February 11, 2019
This book made me cry snotty sob tears.
April 20, 2019
Amazing. Beautiful. Emotional. Clever. Heart warming. Heart breaking. I loved this book so much.
February 7, 2022
So glad I have read it. Thank you Chessiefor an emotional tale of survival. Your father and mother are amazing individuals who need to be acknowledged as wonderful people and amazing parents. Life goes on and that truly awful time in Christchurch of the earthquakes has been dealt with with great empathy and directness, teaching us all how truly dreadful some of the situations facing the medical staff and support services truly was, with little on-going support from other New Zealanders. The rural medical community desperately needs all the help,it can get.
Thank you Chessie. A great book.
Thank you Chessie. A great book.
May 5, 2020
This is the first book I have read in a single sitting in a very long time. It’s a totally different story to my own earthquake story - all of ours are unique - but so much of this rings true due to the honesty from Chessie and her family. It’s surreal reading a book that takes you from your own city to the city you made home for uni, and then around the world. Someone else’s life, with echoes of your own. A truly captivating book under any circumstance, but something special for those of us from Canterbury and Kaikoura too.
September 6, 2023
Such an incredibly well written memoir and a phenomenal story. I bought my copy from Scorpio Books while visiting Christchurch and I’m glad I did. An amazing book that I truly think everyone would enjoy
February 16, 2024
Strong Appealing Voice
Found this book getting ready to visit South Island New Zealand. Haven’t been to Christchurch or Kaikoura yet and feel that when I do I’ll have a touch point to happy and tragic events.
To explain things the author gets back into her parents’ history and shares a bit about her current life. Some ma say it is “choppy” but I feel like she wrote in the rhythm of her research and how events surfaced for her.
Found this book getting ready to visit South Island New Zealand. Haven’t been to Christchurch or Kaikoura yet and feel that when I do I’ll have a touch point to happy and tragic events.
To explain things the author gets back into her parents’ history and shares a bit about her current life. Some ma say it is “choppy” but I feel like she wrote in the rhythm of her research and how events surfaced for her.
October 27, 2025
!! Oh this was airily familiar across ALL aspects, experiencing both the earthquakes, the memory of being shaken awake that night standing stuck upstairs feeling like it was never going to stop. the road between Blenheim and chch that we knew so well in the before, and then saw it all change in the after. The frustration of taking the inland road for so long after. I remember the car accident happening on the news on the same stretch of road we travelled down to get to Twizel for rowing, a girl just younger than us devastating a familiar school community. Visiting friends in Hapuku growing up, the scenes felt so real and familiar. the author also ?lived in my same Dunedin flat on constitution st??! And lastly the rural medicine woven through, tieing it all together. A specialty so important to communities but one that comes with many pressures and burdens discussed in this book. Another moving goodie!! Loved it! Great rec !!
July 10, 2021
Adored this book! Never really taken the time to read or listen to stories from people that were part of the earthquakes. Loved her writing style and everything about the story.
April 26, 2024
Such a brilliant, poignant and at times comedic story.
October 1, 2024
Stunning debut story about her Dad and family. Compelling story brought back my own memories of the time. First time had to put a book down because I was crying. Did not want to put it down.
December 5, 2024
Never thought I would want 5 kids till reading this
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews