Author(s): Michelle Langstone

NZ Non Fiction | Staff Picks- Read our reviews

A stunning collection of moving and beautifully written personal essays from Michelle Langstone. 'These essays about love, loss, and memories of night voyages with her dad glow from within, like phosphorescence on the sea. Just what we need in times like these.' - Diana Wichtel 'Evocative, lyrical, surprising, Times Like These is built from a heart that bursts out of every page.' - Toby Manhire Childhood, family, and death; anxiety and release; grief and the hope of new life: these are some of the themes that underpin Michelle Langstone's debut collection. Michelle is interested in the way the concept of identity is shaken during a major event, and in the feeling world at its most raw and intimate. These essays speak to one another across a timeline, examining her world before the death of her father, and life after his passing, when she recalibrates the shape of a universe without him. Essays on acting, fertility and IVF, and intergenerational love round out a collection that is full of candour and humour. Tender, poignant and moving, these intimate essays are perfectly formed and offer a shimmering portrait of the human condition.

Michelle Langstone is best known for her career as an actress, yet in recent years it is her talent as a writer which has caught my attention. Her writing style is distinct in that no matter the topic, her ability to fill her pieces with sensitivity and vulnerability always draws me in. In ‘Times Like These’ Michelle truly leads with her heart and her writing has blossomed, revealing a true and gifted talent. Much like the title suggests this book of essays reflects her most recent years, and the intimacies of her real life. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of warmth while reading this book. Her writing feels like a cosy old jersey you have had forever, it has a few holes and a selection of food stains, but it embodies history and memories and it feels like some kind of home. Her writing is most poignant when she is speaking about her late father. There is something about the pain of grief that can render our memories with such stark relief. The vignettes of her childhood and time spent with her father at sea are so movingly translated, and not just the perfect moments, also the times when father- daughter relationships can be strained. Like a murmuration of starlings her words flit and flow effortlessly, creating beautiful impressions which entrance the heart and mind. I truly appreciated the way Michelle has honestly documented the rollercoaster of emotions she experienced in the wake of her father's death, her desire to have a child later in life and the complicated feelings that came with 2020 and its many lockdowns. As Michelle now begins her journey into motherhood, I can only imagine that a whole new world of emotion is about to open up to her and with it will hopefully come more incredible writing, I personally cannot wait to read it. Gabrielle