The Space Between

This is a story of the New Zealand Wars, of two characters so well rendered as to bring the women of the time, Māori and Pākehā, to the fore. It’s an historical novel, and a social, feminist history, as well as a drama in the vein of Jenny Pattrick and Fiona Kidman. The Space Between does something new, something pertinent to right now, and it does it very well indeed.

Louise Ward, Napier Courier

[Telling] the story of two women, settler Frances and local Matāria, whose lives become intertwined in surprising ways at the brink of the First Taranaki War in 1860. The excellence of Keenan’s writing is such, the judges agreed, that it is hard to believe this is her first novel, and she skilfully explores themes of love, resilience, and the search for belonging as she depicts people learning to straddle two cultures and shake off the classism – and worse – of Victorian England.’

NZ Booklovers

Keenan, through her writing, builds compelling characters...if you have ever been to the Taranaki region, these places will resonate with you... This novel paints a picture of what it was like to live in colonial New Zealand and gives a detailed description of how these two worlds have collided, not always for the better. Recommended

Cassidy Grace, Read New Zealand

It is early 1860 in Ngāmotu/New Plymouth and the highly contentious purchase of the Waitara Block is being finalised. Pākehā are building stockades around the settlement and the militia are pouring in. Both Māori and Pākehā know that war between them is imminent. These weeks prior to the outbreak of the Taranaki Land Wars act as a historical back drop to Lauren Keenan’s novel, The Space Between...The historical aspects of the novel are fascinating, including the exiling of the Puke Ariki papakāinga from within the stockade and the preparations by both factions for the coming of war. We learn that local Māori required travel passes and had to swear allegiance to Queen Wikitoria to traverse what was once their own land: Matāria is imprisoned in the New Plymouth gaol for not having one of those passes.Both the two lead characters and the handful of secondary characters are well crafted and memorable.

Kelly Ana Morey, Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books

Keenan’s writing style, both evocative and empathetic, immediately drew me into the raw emotional lives of these women. Her detailed portrayal of New Zealand makes the narrative all the more intriguing and adds further depth to the novel, making it not just a story of personal transformation, but one deeply rooted in the land and its people...an essential read for anyone interested in stories of emotional resilience, cultural identity and female empowerment.

Olivia Wallace, Read New Zealand