SUCCESS OF NEW ZEALAND AUTHORESS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3964, 4 July 1929, Page 1

SUCCESS OF NEW ZEALAND AUTHORESS.

Auckland 'can lay claim to producing an authoress of no mean ability. Isabel Maud Peaeocke, of that City in .private life Mrs. Oh E. Cluett, has contributed a considerable number of books to the original literature of New Zealand. Her first published work, which appeared in 1910, was a collection of poems, entitled “Songs of the Happy Isles.” In 1915 appeared “My Friend Phil,” ,fir,st of a series of books written for and about young people by Miss Peaeocke. “My Friend Phil” had an excellent reception both from the critics and the public; it ran into several editions and is still on the market. There is an American edition of this book. and. the film rights were applied for. The books written by this author present roatuiral pictures of the everyday life of Now Zealand boys and girls; they describe the scenery of that this in a vivid and faithful manner; and a dash of adventure and whimsical humour is added to attract the youthful reader of whom Miss Peaeocke has many jji all parts of the. .world to judge by her mail which contains letters from boys and girls from many countries. Of young people’s books Miss Peaeocke has written no less than llfteen. Her latest in this series is now in the press and is entitled “The Runaway Princess.” It is mummed with exciting adventures, we are told, of two boys and a girl, the latter having been kidnapped by Maoris in her babyhood. This book is due to appear for Christinas, 1929. In addition to this scries, and a number of hooks written for very juvenile juveniles this author has written four novels with a New Zealand setting, two of which have been serialised in America and‘in Great Britain. These are, “Cinderella’s Suitors,” “The Guardian,” “Figs from Thistles,” and “The House at Journey’s End,” the last depicting scenes in the magnificent surroundings of the .southern lakes, and mountains of New Zealand.

Miss Peaeocke is a member of the Society of Authors, Artists and playwrights of London, and, following a visit- to the Old Country a few years ago she wrote a novel entitled “Waif's Progress,” has just appeared with Messrs Hoddev and Stoughton’s spring list of novels for 1929, and is published un-. der the naime of Isabel M. Cluett in order to dissociate it entirely .from her books for children. 1 The boo|k. deals, in some measure, with the “submerged tenth” of London’s seven millions, and particularly with the fortunes of one of them, a girl who determines to rise out of the squalolr and sordidness of the life to which she was born.