national library of new zealand print isbn 978-0-9582914-1-5 acknowledgements i would like to thank the following people for their support and encouragement in the writing of this book : rae mcgregor who read the first draft and insisted i continue ; dr bruno gianni and neil mclauchlan for their assistance with the french grammar ; bryce caller in london for his hospitality and added research when i needed it ; the mairangi bay writers for their critical assessment ; malcolm wall whose editing and practical advice was invaluable at all times ; heather mackay , my agent , who had faith in the book and in me .