New Novel Follows Adolescents Who Grew Up In Post-quake Christchurch

The new YA novel Time to Remember traces the fortunes of some University of Canterbury students who were children when the quakes hit and are now facing up to the tenth anniversary.

At the National Remembrance Service on the tenth anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said:

“I’d like to acknowledge the children who lived through the earthquake and grew up in its aftermath. Some of these children will be teenagers now, or have left school and started jobs or university.

“I have in the past called this the generation of the rebuild. But they are also the generation that will create a legacy … Out of such a traumatic time for our kids I hope grows a form of comfort and support for a whole generation.”

Author Janna Ruth is a German geologist turned Kiwi novelist who lived through the quakes herself.

She says: “Time to Remember is my most personal book. Before I even started writing, I did a survey amongst 20-year-old UC students, and the results were heartbreaking. So many said that the earthquakes had shaped their lives. I hope I have done their stories justice.”

Sarina Dickson is a teacher and mental health advocate based in Ōtautahi / Christchurch who has worked alongside families and children in the long aftermath of the quakes.

She says: “The generation that grew up over the past ten years in Canterbury will recognise themselves within these pages. This well-researched novel beautifully captures that magical time at the beginning of adulthood when relationships are tested and world views are tilted.”

In her review on Kete Books, Ruth Spencer says:

“Janna Ruth’s treatment of the earthquake anniversary draws powerfully on the very real impact of the event. She examines the poignancy of what is lost by making it specific to each story. Some stories are of wild, deep grief that can’t be softened by the years passing. All share trauma though, and Natalie tries to bring that pain into the healing light of day when she insists that it is time for them all to remember.”

Time to Remember will be launched this Thursday, 25 February, at Tūranga in Ōtautahi / Christchurch.

Time to Remember is available in print now in selected NZ bookshops and as an ebook from major online retailers.

Notes

Title: Time to Remember

Author: Janna Ruth

Publisher: Janna Ruth

Publication Date: 25 February 2021

Paperback Format: 15.24 x 22.86 cm

Extent: 324pp

RRP (NZD): $37.00

ISBN: 978-0-473-54489-8

Categories: NZ Fiction; Slice of Life; New Adult; Mental Health

Janna is available for interview. Please contact publicist Elizabeth Heritage on books@elizabethheritage.co.nz or 022 652 3981. Review copies available upon request.

Author bio

Janna first came to New Zealand from Germany in 2009 to study geology at the University of Canterbury. After the earthquakes, Janna turned to writing, publishing her first book in 2017. Her second book Im Bann der zertanzten Schuhe, a modern fairy tale retelling about PTSD, won the German speculative fiction award SERAPH Phantastikpreis for Best Independent Novel in 2018. More info at https://www.janna-ruth.com/

Blurb

When the Canterbury Earthquakes destroyed their city, Natalie and her friends were only ten years old. Too old to forget, but too young to be heard, they have never told their stories. Until now.

Ten years after the earthquakes, Natalie returns to her home town with a plan. To show how the earthquakes shaped her generation, she wants to curate her fellow students' stories into a special edition of the student magazine. Her project is well-received by all, but one: her self-proclaimed nemesis Josh. From the start, Josh goes out of his way to get the project cancelled. Natalie is determined to see her vision through, yet when she finally uncovers the reason behind Josh's actions, she finds herself questioning everything she's been working towards.

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