The Way Words Live

A lifetime of poems, short stories and contemplations, Sylvia’s The Way Words Live is a collection that reflects her rich personal history, her many joys and sorrows, and her pithy observations of a life well-lived.

Born in Calcutta, India in 1930, Sylvia received much of her education at Auckland House - a boarding school in Shimla, several days by train into the hills and what felt like a million miles away from her family.

Upon the death of her father, her mother honored a promise and moved Sylvia and her younger sister, June, to England, a country the girls had never before seen. Sylvia was just sixteen. Four years later, the trio immigrated to New Zealand.

She met her husband, John, in Auckland and they were married in 1957. Children Robert, Kim, Helyn and Brian quickly followed. It was while keeping a diary of their young lives that Sylvia discovered the satisfaction to be found in writing, and she began to find her voice. Sylvia still lives in Otorohanga, where she has been an integral part of the local community for over sixty years.

This collection includes poetry, family stories, reflections on her childhood, the Church, and her local community. Insightful, contemplative, hopeful and funny, full of gratitude and wide-eyed wonderment, The Way Words Live will delight, inspire and entertain its readers – Sylvia’s family, friends and community.