New Zealand Author Faye Whittaker Releases Her First Novel For A Fee Of Two Shillings

PRLog (Press Release) - Nov. 16, 2011 - New Zealand Author Faye Whittaker Releases Her First Novel For A Fee Of Two Shillings

For a Fee of Two Shillings's storyline is taken from life played out in small, seemingly close-knit, service communities that sprung up amidst the apron of farms extending from the base of Mount Taranaki, Aotearoa (New Zealand) out to the coast, where everyone tends to know everybody's business except when it really counts.

The setting for this historical tale is a fictitious coastal township, where the mainstays are the church, the adjacent marae (Maori village) and the local pub.

Whilst unraveling the mysterious circumstances surrounding the life and death of MIRI (a young Maori woman) whose childhood desire to be ‘white’ had grown into a bizarre obsession, an association is formed by three purportedly mature Pakeha (of European descent.) Miri’s relentless drive to be accepted as equal by the “white” people of the village, and more importantly, by her Pakeha husband, had caused her to act irrationally. Her choices and her mistakes impact upon her children’s lives as well these others she unwittingly influences.

Through their subsequent acquaintance with an ancient Maori TOHUNGA (medicine-man/priest) - an ageing LAWYER, a retired Anglican MINISTER, and a PUBLIC SERVANT, are introduced to a new appreciation of spirituality. These men, who have lived, loved, and lost in various ways; much to their own dismay, are confronted with a form of wisdom, the like of which they had not formerly known. As a result of the revelations of the Tohunga, who ironically is also plagued by his own weaknesses and failings, all of those connected to Miri learn to honor Life Itself before and above that imposed on them by society, culture, or religion. They are also individually confronted with the commonly over-looked bigotry, prejudices, obsessions, and attitudes accepted as the norm within New Zealand’s pre and post World War II society; giving respected citizens pause to reflect on how their own lives have been used. They are placed in the position of wanting to examine the opinions they had formed; to acknowledge regrets, and forgive both themselves and others for the consequences of misguided judgments.

Book Information:
For a Fee of Two Shillings
Author: Faye Whittaker
Publisher: The Dancing Lion Press
ISBN: 978-1456578398
Pages: 308
Published: September 2011

About The Author
Faye Whittaker was born and raised under the shadow of Mt. Taranaki, in a province of Aotearoa (New Zealand) renowned for dairy farming.

When she first left school, Faye was engaged as a Court Clerk, in the Justice Department, where she became fascinated with an aging lawyer who was the curator of the Law Library at the rear of the Courthouse. He was a tubby amiable man, and the staff looked forward to his daily visits at morning-tea. Faye gained the impression he lived alone in a large house – though he didn’t speak much about his private life. Although he befriended and encouraged Faye to take up study and become a lawyer, she did what so many of her generation did. She married young, had three children and consequently it was many years before she finally gained a degree in Social and Community Work from Massey University. Faye is currently the Director of a Tertiary Education Organization in New Zealand specializing in career counseling, and one-on-one education for early school leavers and long-term unemployed. Faye guesses there are some brief acquaintances during one’s life that make a lasting impression. The thoughtful, caring lawyer from her Court days was one who has remained with her, and he eventually became a central figure in her first novel For a Fee of Two Shillings.

For more information, review copies, or interviews please contact the author at:

Faye Whittaker
Email: fayebeamazing@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.dancinglion.co.nz

For a Fee of Two Shillings is available for purchase online from the author’s website, , Amazon.com, and other online retailers.  Bookstores should contact major distributors for wholesale orders.

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