I am a bad kiwi reader. I am a bad New Zealander. I have been sleeping on NZ authors and NZ stories for too long and I have made it my mission, my resolution, in 2024 to read more NZ authors and more NZ books. I’ve started it early to get the ball rolling and boy was that a great idea because Emma Ling Sidnam’s debut novel Backwaters is a phenomenal read.

There are so many things to talk about with this book. I could talk about the exquisite word choice and the poetic essence of the literary fiction that makes this novel sing. The fact that every chapter, every page, every word has clear intent and meaning and everything slips into place like a puzzle to create this beautiful journey of self-discovery, identity, family history and purpose.

I could talk about the nostalgia and the fond memories that were uncovered as I flicked through the pages, references to childhood games and treats and locations that made my heart melt and my smile cement itself onto my face. The things that make this novel feel so Kiwi, that make Emma feel like such a Kiwi, and how pairing them with elements that are undoubtedly Chinese, or Asian, or simply not Kiwi brings out the themes of this novel with such clarity and really gets the reader to feel this uncertainty of what belongs to Laura, what belongs to any of us, when race and place and heritage come into play.

I could talk about how as a white New Zealander, unsure of my own family history and place in Aotearoa, this book made me feel understood even when the main character wasn’t of my ethnicity. I could relate to her, to others within the story, and how that makes me feel relieved because it means tat there are so many New Zealanders out there who are in the same shoes as me. Backwaters is a novel with a Chinese-New Zealand perspective, a novel which deals with image and identity and race and why it both matters and doesn’t matter.

I could talk about this book at length for weeks. I could also shut up and let you read it. In fact, the one thing I will say is that you must read Backwaters. You absolutely must. Emma Ling Sidnam has put into words such an integral message for teens and young adults who are navigating the country and the world. There is so much to unpack within this novel, so much to absorb and appreciate and ruminate over, and the only way to truly experience it is by picking the book up and reading it for yourself. This book for not just for those like Emma. This is for everyone so as to understand yourself, those closest to you, and others that you see in everyday life. This is a book to understand other people and how to approach such complex themes as identity and who we are.

I wish I could read this book for the first time again and take in every word, every phrase and every image brought to mind. I wish I could relive the memories plucked up and return to those times and know that being a Kiwi is all about those moments. Congratulations Emma for creating such a beautiful novel – you’re acknowledgments are well deserved!