Rich and varied with a strong sense of history and change, Blackball as the hub and centre - the returning place - is so poignant and real and honest. New cultures and changes but still whanau. I loved it.’ Paddy Richardson. The novel follows three Blackball children, from the 1908 strike through to the turn of the century, as they lead diverse lives which encompass left politics,WW1, the Spanish Civil War, the Paniora, the saga of relationships, sexuality and gender, with a return to Spain to ground whakapapa and respond to new challenges. Solidarity, n. Holding together, mutual dependence, community of interests, feeling and action. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English. 'Characters are detailed, brilliant and flawed. Both passionate and dismissive.' Leigh Cookson.