Te Kupenga(Massey

University Press, $60)

The Alexander Turnbull library is the oldest section of the National Library of New Zealand in Wellington. Alexander Turnbull, a merchant and a book collector, designed the National Library and donated his collection to it in 1918 having declared ‘‘anything whatever relating to do with this colony, on its history, flora, fauna, geology and inhabitants, will be fish for my net’’. Aptly, then, Te Kupenga translates as The Net. This book is a collection of essays about objects – from letters and paintings to journals, photographs, posters, banners and books – that play a part in forming Aotearoa New Zealand’s history. Stories such at these are pivotal to understanding Aotearoa’s past and current societal behaviours.

– Ash Damini, Kete Books