Gold, grit and forbidden love

Sophie Rogers’ second novel returns to the 1860s Central Otago gold rush era of her first novel, but delves deeper into the marginalised people of the era.

Her 2022 novel, Nightshades and Paperwhites, examined the harsh treatment of Chinese miners and imagined their relationships with local women.

The Alexandra writer’s new novel, Orchids and Camellias, which was released on Monday, expands that world by focusing on the mothers and mixed-heritage children who inherited the consequences of those unions.

Covering the period from 1866 to 1890, it brings back the heroine of Nightshades and Paperwhites, Ginny Yang — now a widow and mother of a mixed-heritage son — as she fights for survival in Queenstown, Arrowtown and other South Island settlements.

Rogers, who studied history at the University of Otago before completing a postgraduate diploma in creative writing, spent four years researching and writing the novel.

"Some of the stuff I found, I was really gobsmacked and thought ‘I have to do something with this’."

As well as the overlooked history of the Chinese gold miners, the novel traces how the women’s suffrage movement, and debates over prohibition, intersected with race and family life.

She says she’s interested in writing stories that aren’t well-represented in the historical record.

However, because marginalised groups in society tend to be left out of the historical record, that made her research doubly difficult.

For example, she could not find any information about the suffrage movement in the Whakatipu Basin other than the fact 70 women from Queenstown, and one from Arrowtown, were listed on the women’s suffrage petition presented to Parliament in 1893.

Rogers has now written two of a collection of four novels, all published by Flying Books Publishing in the past five years, which examine the lives of real or fictional 19th century women with a connection to the Queenstown Lakes region.

Rogers says after initially self-publishing her first novel, it was picked up and republished by Flying Books.

"I was surprised at how many people were interested, not just from a woman’s perspective but a Central Otago perspective.

"There’s a real hunger for more of our history down here, which is so cool to see."

She will appear at the Queenstown launch of Orchids and Camellias at Tomodachi Bookshop, at Country Lane, Frankton, on Sunday at 4pm. Tickets ($5) are available from Tomodachi or Eventfinda.

guy.williams@scene.co.nz