{"title":"Alison Croggon","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the imaginative world of \u003cem\u003eAlison Croggon\u003c\/em\u003e, an acclaimed author known for her immersive storytelling and multifaceted narratives. With a rich tapestry of works spanning genres from young adult fiction to historical accounts, Alison's books spark curiosity and ignite the imagination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBlack Spring\u003c\/em\u003e, Croggon takes inspiration from Emily Brontë's dark romantic classic to weave a compelling tale of love, power, and revenge, set in a haunting, isolated landscape. This novel exemplifies her ability to merge the fantastical with deep emotional currents, making it a must-read for fans of gothic atmospheres and intricate plotlines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDelve into the dystopian yet poignant universe of \u003cem\u003eMonsters\u003c\/em\u003e, another young adult masterpiece that navigates themes of anxiety, friendship, and survival. Croggon's skill in crafting relatable characters shines through, offering readers both empathy and excitement as they turn each page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe River and the Book\u003c\/em\u003e showcases Alison’s penchant for intertwining ecology with narrative. This novel blends environmental themes with elements of magical realism, making it not only a compelling story but also a thoughtful commentary on modern societal issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you're seeking an escape through a landscape of fantasy or an exploration of deeper social themes, Alison Croggon’s collection promises a rewarding reading experience for both young adults and those young at heart. Embark on an enchanting journey with each of her unique tales today.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"monsters-by-alison-croggon-9781925713398","title":"Monsters","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA hybrid of memoir and essay from award-winning writer and critic Alison Croggon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis figure I see in the foreground, this me. How monstrous am I? What does it mean to be a monster? From Latin \u003cem\u003emonstrum\u003c\/em\u003e, meaning an abomination ... grotesque, hideous, ugly, ghastly, gruesome, horrible ...\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI was born as part of a monstrous structure - the grotesque, hideous, ugly, ghastly, gruesome, horrible relations of power that constituted colonial Britain. A structure that shaped me, that shapes the very language that I speak and use and love. I am the daughter of an empire that declared itself the natural order of the world.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom award-winning writer and critic Alison Croggon, \u003cem\u003eMonsters\u003c\/em\u003e is a hybrid of memoir and essay that takes as its point of departure the painful breakdown of a relationship between two sisters. It explores how our attitudes are shaped by the persisting myths that underpin colonialism and patriarchy, how the structures we are raised within splinter and distort the possibilities of our lives and the lives of others. \u003cem\u003eMonsters\u003c\/em\u003e asks how we maintain the fictions that we create about ourselves, what we will sacrifice to maintain these fictions - and what we have to gain by confronting them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA marvel of a book ... Croggon spares no one, least of all herself, as she unearths colonial history and family complicity to scrutinise those demons that both torment and shape us. This is exactly the kind of book I have longed to see white authors write, and I love it for its refusal to provide easy answers to the dilemma at the heart of the modern human condition.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n- Ruby Hamad, author of \u003cem\u003eWhite Tears\/Brown Scars\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn language at once fiery and elegant, Croggon reckons with the collective failures of her imperialist ancestors and the personal shame of their legacy. It's a book I will return to often for its power and its truths.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n- Marina Benjamin, author of \u003cem\u003eInsomnia\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSteady and acute self-scrutiny such as Croggon's is necessary to a widening interrogation of privilege that underpins the illumination and refusal of racism and sexism and promised a historical pivot away from over and cover violence ... \u003cem\u003eMonsters\u003c\/em\u003e is full of gloriously expressed insights, such as the image of the internet as 'a trauma machine, recording and reproducing millions of psychic wounds' and, on the subject of #MeToo, the way an accumulation of incidents can contribute to a 'deformation of self' ... stylistically, the rhythms and sonic patterns of Croggon's prose are a poet's.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n- Felicity Plunkett, The Age\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46343607156972,"sku":"9781925713398","price":34.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/17459313482873.jpg?v=1744000087"},{"product_id":"black-spring-by-alison-croggon-9781921977480","title":"Black Spring","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLina is enchanting, vibrant but wilful. Her eyes betray her for what she truly is—a witch. With her childhood companion, Damek, she has grown up privileged and spoiled, and the pair are devoted to each other to the point of obsession.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut times are changing. Vendetta is coming. And tragedy is stalking the halls of the Red House.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlack Spring\u003c\/em\u003e is a stunning new novel by Alison Croggon, inspired by the Gothic classic \u003cem\u003eWuthering Heights\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46543060631788,"sku":"9781921977480","price":23.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/8185923482872.jpg?v=1749732677"},{"product_id":"the-river-and-the-book-by-alison-croggon-9781925081725","title":"The River and the Book","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn our village, we had two treasures: the River, which was our road and our god; and the Book, which was our history, our oracle, and our soul.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSimbala is a Keeper of the Book, the latest in a long line of women who can read the Book to find answers to the villagers' questions. As developers begin to poison the river on which the villagers rely, the Book predicts change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut this does not come in the form that they expect; it is the sympathetic Westerner who comes to the village who inflicts the greatest damage of all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47016536703212,"sku":"9781925081725","price":22.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/11142583482873.jpg?v=1763600035"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/alison-croggon.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}