Hoods Landing

A razor-sharp, darkly comedic multi-generational novel from a striking modern Indigenous voice, exploring the messy secrets and queer lineages that surface when a family gathers for the holidays.

Shortlisted for New Zealand''s premier literary prize and perfect for fans of Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss and Emma Straub’s This Time Tomorrow

Set against the backdrop of a hilariously bleak holiday season, the fiercely protective women of the Gordon family gather for a Christmas they will never forget. They drive each other to distraction, but always know when to offer a stiff glass of whiskey or a shoulder to lean on.

Rita, the 50-something baby of the family, has arrived with a cancer diagnosis she can no longer run from. But before she can break the news, the family’s indomitable 102-year-old matriarch quietly passes away, turning the holiday into an impromptu wake.

As the gathering unfolds, Rita drifts between a chaotic present and the ghosts of the past, reflecting on her modern Indigenous identity, her mother’s lifelong queer romance, and the community of women who came before her. Fusing a contemporary perspective with a rich narrative voice that sounds almost antique, she begins to reckon with what her diagnosis means for the people she loves.

Uncovering a history of queer families hiding in plain sight within rural spaces, Hoods Landing features an unforgettable cast of elderly lesbians, "twins" who are a year apart, a long-lost lover from Venice, and a lineage of family dogs named Roger. It is a deeply moving, sharply funny novel about the imperfect bonds that hold us together.

Fusing the detailed observation of Greta & Valdin with an abundance of heart, this acclaimed debut is an intimate mirror for our changing world and a word-of-mouth sensation for its rare blend of biting wit and domestic tenderness.