Valerie Hulme, (BBC) Best Book Club, Gisborne, New Zealand.

A very funny, non-PC, rude, satirical romp through New Zealand and England, with many bits of Australia and Canada (what’s left of the Commonwealth) thrown in, and the rest of the world doesn’t get off scotfree either.

New Zealand’s name is now Proud (Proud to be nuclear-free), most of its cities and towns have also had their names changed, Australia has failed at an attempt to make it another State, the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha line is back on the throne of England, and its Princess Divine wants to marry for love and needs to be kidnapped by her father a couple of times to toe the line.

Maori get jokingly roasted from time to time, which makes you wince a bit, but he does the same to every other race and nationality – no one gets off lightly.

Her mother, Queen Liliana, who manoeuvred her way onto the throne, has a trusted Maori ex-soldier named Manu (from Manutuke) as her aide, and he seems the most likeable character in the book. I don’t think I came across Jaffas, but everything else is there – pineapple lumps, pavlova, sheep, rugby, Tui ale, hangi and gay All Blacks. Maori get jokingly roasted from time to time, which makes you wince a bit, but he does the same to every other race and nationality – no one gets off lightly.

The writing has been described as very Spike Milligan, but the style which came to mind for me was Tom Sharpe, although it’s been 40 years since I read anything of his. Recommended.

He uses lots of Maori words and phrases but translates them all into English in brackets and does the same with other languages. The author’s journalism background has been put to good use – real current affairs, history, and famous people are a strong thread throughout the book, sometimes with names facetiously changed. Hearty and Jehane Jacques, the mayor of Manutuke and his wife, get a mention!

I felt the middle of the book got a bit bogged down in the Pa war, and it could have done with a second proofreading, but overall, I did enjoy it very much. The writing has been described as very Spike Milligan, but the style which came to mind for me was Tom Sharpe, although it’s been 40 years since I read anything of his. Recommended.