Catalogue

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Title:	Mila and the Bone Man
Authors:	Roche, Lauren
Genre:	Fiction: New Zealand
Pages:	272
Year:	2022
Language:	English
Description:	Mila's family hail from Northland, and with their happy home and their proximity to a nearby forest, she has an idyllic childhood. But for every idyll, there is its counterpart, and the grief and trauma that visit the family cause Mila to seek exile in Auckland. But the lure of the north eventually draws Mila back to accept the mantle of healer. Compelling and emotionally engaging, this story considers the complex issues of guilt and grief, and the healing and peace available through the natural world. This title is also offered as part of the Narrative Muse Book Club.
Categories:	Fiction, Fiction NZ, MÄori, New Zealand Interest, Narrative Muse Book Club, 2024 Titles

Reviews

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By: MANGWK 001		2025-06-30 10:10:55

Common day themes and a holistic approach. The tone is not hopeless despite the hardships encountered.

By: FEILD 004		2025-05-08 10:04:52

Everyone enjoyed the book, the writing and the knowledge that the author brought to it. The characters were portrayed well. One member particularly liked Tommy. A great discussion, an uplifting experience. Some very sad parts honestly written about.

By: HAMIL 053		2025-03-10 14:07:00

As a group we gave Mila and the Bone Man a 3. We felt that the story was light on dialogue and attempted to cover too many topics. If the author had delved into some of the subject matter such as grief and guilt in more depth, the story could have held our attention more. We felt that Tommy was certainly a character that should have been given more time as he could have developed into a very interesting subject within the story.

By: THAM 004		2025-01-09 10:08:50

Good to read a local (N.Z.) book. Well-written. Some thought that parts of it were "too detailed".

By: NORTH 007		2024-08-12 14:26:32

We all read through the book with a feeling of the geography, as we live in Northland. We felt the language was childish, and brought too many huge social, political and cultural issues that giddily spun out the story losing its direction. We liked Tommy, and his Grandmother and her sensory garden.

By: AUCK 449		2024-08-12 14:23:21

We all loved this book.

By: OHOPE 002		2024-08-12 14:22:50

Enjoyed, very well-written. Plenty of material for discussion!

By: AUCK 173		2024-07-15 11:44:23

We enjoyed this book, and especially liked the fact that the bush and nature were brought to life with very clear and evocative descriptions. However we also reflected on the idea that many N.Z. novels have quite dark themes.

By: WHANG 033		2024-05-08 14:13:39

This story resonated with everyone in the group in varying aspects - grief, guilt, justice, child protection. We saw the character development through the lens of the author's perspective and individual experience.

By: NORTH 003		2024-05-01 12:18:57

We were privileged to have the author join us for our club meeting where we discussed the book. She told us how she got the ideas for the book, how she wrote from experience. Some found the book deeply spiritual, and that family is at the heart of living, where we encounter grief, pain, guilt and hurt. Some found the violence upsetting but we enjoyed the N.Z. forest descriptions, and the Maori cultural references.