Author(s): Edwina Pio

NZ Society

Showcases the lives of Indian women working in New Zealand through four generations, in their own words and through official data. Stories of fabulous success merge with underemployment and no employment. Memories of Maori friendships and Maori relatives intertwine with mentoring by Pakeha women. Sewn into the stories are the spangles of an Indian patriarchal system which supported these women and at the same time created very strict demarcation lines; and the shaded sequins of in-laws who might manipulate them as they sought to carve out their careers and gain an education.