‘The Valley’ by Asher Emmanuel
I initially ordered two copies of The Valley for the bookshop thinking there might be one or two people interested in the workings of the justice system in the Hutt Valley as seen through the eyes of two repeat offenders and one defence attorney. Upon receiving the book, I quickly realised my mistake and ordered 20 copies, and then 20 more. And then we scheduled an event with the author which also sold out. Such is the compelling nature of writing.
There are no sensational headlines, no big-name journalists dishing up ‘their take’ on a broken system, no politicians proposing a crackdown on crime. These are the lenses through which we are usually invited to view the justice system. In ‘The Valley’ there are months and years of quiet, meticulous work forging relationships, building trust, acquiring access to meetings and hearings, recording, writing and editing. Emmanuel is always telling their stories, not his own. He writes to allow the humans at the centre of the story to show us their worlds, their daily grappling with poverty, brain injury, homelessness, addiction, rehab, offending, arrest, bail, sentencing, jail. And by telling the specific, personal, detailed stories of three people he is in fact telling …” a story found in courtrooms and communities across New Zealand.”
Read this book if you have any interest in the state of the social contract in Aotearoa New Zealand (its election year – if not now, then when?). This book is an opportunity to see through a different lens, to engage, to be informed, to encounter the humanity behind the statistics. Available at your local bookshop.
