South-West of Eden: A Memoir, 1932-1956

From his birth in 1932 to his first departure from New Zealand in 1956, this "autobiopsy" chronicles C. K. Stead's first 23 years, casting a critical eye and a novelist's voice over the author's own life. From running wild as a boy in Cornwall Park and joining the Labour Party at age seven to falling in love with Diane Henderson, a wide range of adventures and experiences are revealed with honesty and the clarity only time can bring. An Auckland native, Stead here paints his hometown as a land of myth and symbol, laying claim to his own land and its history. Using his wonderful flair for language, he brings alive elements of legendary New Zealand literary history, such as his early friendships with celebrated writers Frank Sargeson and Janet Frame. Speaking out directly for the first time about his life—after once promising to never write an autobiography—Stead has here composed a truly inspired memoir, wonderfully illuminating the early beginnings of his own time and place in New Zealand history.