The Book of Guilt

Fiction | Catherine Chidgey | Te Herenga Waka University Press

In this compelling novel, triplet boys live in an isolated semi-imprisonment, cared for by mother figures and monitored by a strange doctor who visits periodically. The triplets all dream of the same mysterious girl, and when a cabinet minister decides that the boys should be socialised, they gradually learn of their true origins and their connection to the dream girl. Set in the 1970s, Chidgey explores what might have happened if World War II had ended differently, how people respond to loss, and what constitutes a human. There is both a sadness and sweetness to the main characters, while an undercurrent of unease permeates the novel as Chidgey drip-feeds information. Brilliantly paced, incredibly exciting and, at times, brutal, it is crying out to be made into a Netflix series. Put this on your Christmas wish list, you will return to this novel. (Reviewed by Trina Saffioti)