Winner of the 2023 Gifkins Prize, A House Built on Sand is the vivid and gripping story of a mother–daughter relationship and the secrets that threaten to shatter their world
Winner of the 2023 Gifkins Prize, A House Built on Sand is the vivid and gripping story of a mother-daughter relationship and the secrets that threaten to shatter their worldMaxine has been losing things lately. Her car in the shopping centre carpark. Important work files-and her job as a result. Her marbles? 'Mild cognitive impairment', according to the doctor. Time for a nursing home, according to her daughter, Rose.Rose has her own troubles with memory- a recurring vision of a locked cupboard, claustrophobic panic. Something in the shadows. Something to do with the old family house in Kutarere.Back in that house by the beach, Maxine and Rose try to find their bearings. But they can't move forward without dealing with the past-and the past has a few more surprises in store.Full of suspense and heartbreak, A House Built on Sand is a haunting novel about family secrets, the hazards of memory and ghosts that linger.
Winner of Michael Gifkins Prize 2023 (New Zealand) Short-listed for NZ Booklovers Awards, Best Adult Fiction 2025 (New Zealand)
'A beautiful story, this tangled yarn of dementia and love—harrowing, haunting and tender.’ Michelle Elvy, author of The Other Side of Better
‘Splendidly controlled.’ Radio NZ
‘Powerful.’ Sunday Life
‘Instantly absorbing.’ NZ Listener
‘Reads as a love letter wrapped into a mystery, crafted and polished with the skill of someone who’s been doing this for decades…A House Built on Sand explores the intricacies of minds, memories and relationships, warmly and acutely observed, with a persuasive plot.’ NZ Review of Books
‘An absorbing, haunting novel, beautifully written with compelling characters...This is a book to savour.’ NZ Booklovers
‘An absorbing, haunting novel, beautifully written with compelling characters.’ NZ Herald
‘A work of wisdom and maturity, likely to be read and treasured by many.’ Landfall
‘Maxine’s chapters were written so well, like shifting sands, the present and the past mixing together…There is a lot of thought-provoking material within this story…Another good one for book clubs.’ Theresa Smith Writes
‘Warmly told, finely crafted, convincing story centring on a NZ woman, apparently in early cognitive decline but also keeping secrets, who is cared for by a dedicated daughter.’ NZ Listener, Best Books of 2024
Tina Shaw is the author of novels for adults and younger reader. She is a former recipient of the Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship and the Creative New Zealand Berlin Writers' Residency, and was previously Writer in Residence at the University of Waikato. She lives in Taupo, Aotearoa New Zealand.
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