Isola by Allegra Goodman. In the 16th century, Marguerite is born into great wealth but after being orphaned at the age of three a guardian, Roberval, is appointed, who over several years steals her entire fortune. Destitute, her only option is to rely on him for everything and when he takes her on an expedition to sea she falls in love with his servant. Incandescent with rage, Roberval abandons them on a remote, inhospitable island where they’re left to fight for survival. Based on actual historical events, this is extraordinary. 

The Monster of Harrods by Alison Kervin. Turns out that Mohamed al Fayed was a monster and presided over a reign of terror during his ownership of Harrods. Scores of women were offended against and this offending was known by the Metropolitan Police, who colluded with him, and by parliamentarians and the Royal family - but no one ever acted and he went to his grave without justice being done. This is a very dark history of an amazing department store that many of us have loved for a long time. 

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Isola by Allegra Goodman. In the 16th century, Marguerite is born into great wealth but after being orphaned at the age of three a guardian, Roberval, is appointed, who over several years steals her entire fortune. Destitute, her only option is to rely on him for everything and when he takes her on an expedition to sea she falls in love with his servant. Incandescent with rage, Roberval abandons them on a remote, inhospitable island where they’re left to fight for survival. Based on actual historical events, this is extraordinary.&nbsp;
The Monster of Harrods by Alison Kervin. Turns out that Mohamed al Fayed was a monster and presided over a reign of terror during his ownership of Harrods. Scores of women were offended against and this offending was known by the Metropolitan Police, who colluded with him, and by parliamentarians and the Royal family - but no one ever acted and he went to his grave without justice being done. This is a very dark history of an amazing department store that many of us have loved for a long time.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your Sunday morning listening covered with The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB.

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Whitcoulls Recommends: Isola and The Monster of Harrods

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/07fa9cc6-e854-4d82-a773-b312000e1732/transcript

Crackhead is a new, locally produced dark comedy, and it's getting plenty of positive reviews.

Created and written by actress Holly Shervey, Crackhead is loosely based on Shervey’s own experience of addiction and psychiatric care. 

Holly Shervey and her husband, director of the show, Emmett Skilton, explained the creative process behind creating the show.

"When we finally start to take it off the page, I see Holly really embracing it - she mentioned it's cathartic, she is very liberated by doing this."

LISTEN ABOVE

Crackhead is a new, locally produced dark comedy, and it's getting plenty of positive reviews.
Created and written by actress Holly Shervey, Crackhead is loosely based on Shervey’s own experience of addiction and psychiatric care.&nbsp;
Holly Shervey and her husband, director of the show, Emmett Skilton, explained the creative process behind creating the show.
"When we finally start to take it off the page, I see Holly really embracing it - she mentioned it's cathartic, she is very liberated by doing this."
LISTEN ABOVE

Holly Shervey and Emmett Skilton: Crackhead creator and director on the new locally produced dark comedy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/39f060a3-fbe4-43f7-b7e6-b40e000b7911/transcript

Australian author Charlotte McConaghy’s novel Wild Dark Shore has been widely reviewed as one of the must read books of 2025. 

It also saw McConaghy named on the longlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. 

Ahead of her appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival, she's opened up about the creative journey behind her iconic work.

"I was concerned that my sort of level of immersion into my writing was so different than what it had been in the past, and I was worried that it was going to sort of translate into the book and into the writing - they're very normal doubts to have as a writer."

LISTEN ABOVE

Australian author Charlotte McConaghy’s novel Wild Dark Shore has been widely reviewed as one of the must read books of 2025.&nbsp;
It also saw McConaghy named on the longlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.&nbsp;
Ahead of her appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival, she's opened up about the creative journey behind her iconic work.
"I was concerned that my sort of level of immersion into my writing was so different than what it had been in the past, and I was worried that it was going to sort of translate into the book and into the writing - they're very normal doubts to have as a writer."
LISTEN ABOVE

Charlotte McConaghy: Australian author speaks ahead of Auckland Writers Festival appearance

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b03c557d-2f0b-4343-9251-b40e00045367/transcript

Lake Effect by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney. In 1977, just as The Joy of Sex is sweeping through suburbia, neighbours Nina Larkin and Finn Finnegan leave their respective families for a new life together in a seismic betrayal which ripples through their children’s lives and has a profound, ongoing impact on them all. Yet family bonds are not easily broken and somehow seem to stretch, bend and accommodate all the chaos and mystery and love which life throws at them. This author writes wonderfully about family dynamics - small stories about everyday people living ordinary lives which in their own way are fascinating.

Every Second Counts by Charlotte Glennie. Charlotte Glennie was TVNZ’s first Asia correspondent based in Hong Kong from where she lived a frenetic life chasing down major world events, natural disasters, political turmoil and more. This is a compilation of recent world history which humanizes those involved, told with insight and fierce empathy and is a fascinating account of the stories of our times told by someone who was there and witnessed it all first hand. Highly recommended. 

LISTEN ABOVE

Lake Effect by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney. In 1977, just as The Joy of Sex is sweeping through suburbia, neighbours Nina Larkin and Finn Finnegan leave their respective families for a new life together in a seismic betrayal which ripples through their children’s lives and has a profound, ongoing impact on them all. Yet family bonds are not easily broken and somehow seem to stretch, bend and accommodate all the chaos and mystery and love which life throws at them. This author writes wonderfully about family dynamics - small stories about everyday people living ordinary lives which in their own way are fascinating.
Every Second Counts by Charlotte Glennie. Charlotte Glennie was TVNZ’s first Asia correspondent based in Hong Kong from where she lived a frenetic life chasing down major world events, natural disasters, political turmoil and more. This is a compilation of recent world history which humanizes those involved, told with insight and fierce empathy and is a fascinating account of the stories of our times told by someone who was there and witnessed it all first hand. Highly recommended.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Whitcoulls Recommends: Lake Effect and Every Second Counts

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/5003459e-bf5e-447d-bfa0-b40d0189d4d4/transcript

Whitcoulls Recommends: Isola and The Monster of Harrods

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