A novel about community, classical music and a life in exile

A novel about community, classical music and a life in exile

Marko has come to the ends of the earth to escape a once illustrious past in Bulgaria. So why does a Polish bookstore owner call him a traitor? And who covertly photographed him for the newspaper? Someone knows who he is. They are trying to expose him in his new country, and there is nothing he can do to prevent it.

Adrienne Jansen’s novel A Change of Key tells the story of a multicultural group of migrants living in an inner-city block of social housing flats in New Zealand. We follow the lives of Marko, a violinist in exile, and Stefan, a piano technician trying to rebuild his life. Jansen explores themes of social change and the hardships associated with existing in isolation from one’s family and culture. But friendship, music and a kind of craziness hold this odd community together.

A stand-alone sequel to acclaimed novel The Score, Jansen’s latest book presents unique content at a time when it is most needed. Immigration and migrant rights are headlining our global media, and discussion about institutional racism in Aotearoa is hitting a nerve. There is an increasing need for content that allows the New Zealand public to connect and empathise with our minority cultures.

This is a book for those who want a good story and are willing to view our social issues with an open mind and an open heart. Genuine and unpretentious, it prompts much-needed discourse around inclusivity and the state of multicultural New Zealand.

Jansen’s writing draws on years of experience of living and working among immigrants in New Zealand. She is the founder of the Porirua Language Project (now English Language Partners, one of the first and largest home tutoring programmes in New Zealand). Jansen has written four novels and the widely read I Have in My Arms Both Ways. She wrote the text for The Crescent Moon: The Asian Face of Islam in New Zealand (in collaboration with photographer Ans Westra), and most recently co authored Migrant Journeys: New Zealand Taxi Drivers Tell Their Stories.

Endorsements
‘This novel does that wonderful thing – it makes me care. I cared about what happened to these people. I loved their inventive and imaginative actions, and the music that binds them together … There’s a rich and embracing tenderness for the characters and their story.’ – RENÉE

‘Jansen’s characters are haunted by the ghosts of their past, throwing shadows on the tenuous footholds of their new lives.’ – TRACEY BARNETT | AUTHOR OF THE QUIET WAR ON ASYLUM

Praise for The Score
‘Jansen paints on a small canvas with skill and insight into the tough task of rebuilding a life with few resources past your own fortitude. A warm, unpretentious gem.’
– CATHERINE ROBERTSON | NEW ZEALAND LISTENER

Release date October 2018
RRP (incl. GST) $28
Extent 254 pp.
ISBN 978-0-47344091-6
Category Fiction

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