Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones

When people ask, 'what's your favourite book?' it's too difficult to make a decision because there are just so many super stories out there. But one of my all time fav's is Mr Pip by New Zealand author Lloyd Jones.

Mr Pip (Text Publishing, 2006)

   It's the story of 11-year-old Matilda, a Bouganvillian girl who suffers greatly during the time of the blockade. But Matilda's story isn't all tragedy. It is humourous and poignant too.

   Due to the blockade Matilda's village school shuts down. An eccentric expat nicknamed Pop Eye volunteers to teach the children but there are no resources. (How true this is in so much of the Pacific.) So Pop Eye reads his class Great Expectations and Matilda's interest in literature is sparked.

I adored this book, not just because of the island setting, but because of the clarity of the writing. Matilda's voice rings true. Jones must have rewritten and edited this story countless times to achieve such flawless simplicity of style. His description of the tropics is so tangible I could feel the humidity as I read.

   Mr Pip will make you laugh and it will make you cry your guts out, but mostly it will make you believe in the power of a good story.