Everything We Hoped For is an unusually strong first book, distinguished by an exquisitely crafted surface and barely contained emotional force. A young mother in shocked contemplation of her new baby and young women in rehab and jail feature in mostly short and oblique stories which echo and connect with cumulative power. A broad range of other characters, including a NZ serviceman returned from active duty in Dili, the employees of a $2 Shop and a vegan couple at a Samoan resort complete an impressive contemporary canvas. First published May 2010
