So far, for now : on journeys, widowhood and stories that are never over / Fiona Kidman.

Preface -- Mine alone (So far, for now ; About grandparents ; Finding home ; North River ; On writing memoir) -- The outsiders (Albert Black ; Pure Duras ; Quardling around Glover ; Some other girl: the case for Jean Batten ; Flying places) -- The body's sweet ache (On being massaged ; Playing with fire ; In the time of Covid) -- Going south (At Pike River ; 99 Albany Street) -- This new condition (Truffles ; The blue room ; On widowhood)

On journeys, widowhood and stories that are never over Evocative, wry and thought-provoking, this is a rewarding journey with one of our finest writers. It is a little over a decade since Fiona Kidman wrote her last volume of memoir. But her story did not end on its last page; instead her life since has been busier than ever, filled with significant changes, new writing and fascinating journeys. From being a grandmother to becoming a widow, from the suitcase-existence of book festivals to researching the lives and deaths of Jean Batten and Albert Black, she has found herself in new territory and viewed the familiar with fresh eyes. She takes us with her to Paris and Pike River, to Banff, Belfast and Bangkok, searching for houses in Hanoi and Hawera, reliving her past in Waipu and experiencing a stint in Otago. These locations and experiences - among others - have shaped Fiona's recent years, and in this lively book she shares the insights she has picked up along the way.