The descriptions of real places, as well as actual events and their impact – such as the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, will really jolt Kiwi readers in particular. The New Zealand landscape is incredibly vivid through Timpany’s writing – anyone far from home should brace themselves for a dose of homesickness. Travelling in the Dark is an evocative journey through Sarah’s struggles – both physical (when earthquake debris literally blocks the road ahead, among other obstacles) – and emotional, as she is forced to face the pain of her past. Some years later, divorced, she returns home to a friend in need of her support, a friend who was instrumental in her departure in the first place. What we do learn of Sarah is that she left New Zealand because she had a great opportunity (to join an archaeological dig in Greece) – what Sarah learns for herself, is that the true reason for leaving home was a desire to run away, as is the case for many who suddenly up-sticks and move to the other side of the world (myself included)! Sarah then moves to London, gets married, and has little to do with what she left behind in New Zealand. The novella is certainly written from the perspective of the importance of homecoming, rather than the story giving much detail to the events that happen in the years that the central character has been away the years that have really shaped who she is today. Timpany herself is a New Zealand writer who now calls Cornwall home, where she is married with two children.

Sarah’s struggle is one that many will relate to. It captures the intoxicating beauty and drama of New Zealand, as well as the sense of belonging that anyone who has left feels every time they return – regardless of how long they may have been away.

It tells the story of Sarah, a New Zealand woman returning home for the first time in a decade, with her young son in tow. Emma Timpany’s Travelling in the Dark weaves a tale of homecoming that will resonate with many, and particularly with those who may have left painful memories of their homeland behind to put down roots elsewhere.

Travelling in the Dark by Emma Timpany