In 1866, the South Island of New Zealand was the hottest frontier for those who wanted to find their fortunes in the unexplored territories of the Southern Hemisphere. The California gold fields were mostly played out, so Europeans who had missed the opportunities of the fledgling West of America were booking passage to Dunedin, then on to Hokitika for a chance to strike it rich in the newly discovered gold fields. This exotic and diverse world becomes the setting for Eleanor Catton’s Booker Prize winning, expansive novel The Luminaries.
Mrs Smith Reads The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
What makes this novel more successful than I thought it would be was Ms. Catton’s deft and careful setup. By the time the story got going, I actually felt that I could distinguish all the characters and understood their motivations. So glad you enjoyed it too!