Kiwi Roots: The Making of a New Zealander by John Mullinder recounts his upbringing and family history in New Zealand before his relocation to Canada. He was born in Christchurch and details his mother’s childhood on a farm, her education, and her writing a novel, alongside his father’s wartime experiences as an air force navigator, including his capture and imprisonment. Mullinder grew up on various air bases, where he experienced accidents, played sports, and participated in school and family activities. His awareness of cultural and social issues developed through interactions with Māori peers and international students at university. After teaching in Auckland, he traveled across the Pacific and the Americas, witnessing political unrest and social inequalities. Returning to New Zealand, he worked in journalism, got married, adopted a child, and later emigrated to Canada.

John Mullinder’s Kiwi Roots is a notable account of curiosity, courage, and the way experiences can shape understanding. Mullinder describes with honesty the encounters that expanded his view of culture, community, and human dignity. His journeys across New Zealand and beyond are really well described, and I particularly enjoyed his look into teaching Polynesian students and moving through foreign cities under politically difficult conditions. Every chapter illustrates the different ways he observes and makes sense of the world, which is expected from someone in journalism. His skill in shining a light on both ordinary and significant events is evident, whether covering local courts or national developments. Mullinder's writing style is comfortably accessible, and, ultimately, Kiwi Roots is a memoir that offers a life uniquely lived.

Kiwi Roots follows author John Mullinder's story, beginning with his childhood in the 1950s and 1960s and continuing through his life as a family man. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, John was often caught up in his older brother Theo's pranks. After completing high school, he enrolled at the University of Canterbury, playing rugby and once unexpectedly filling in for an injured former All Black. After a short spell as a teacher and stimulated by a rugby mate's passion for traveling, they set off for Central and South America, often finding themselves in unexpected situations along the way. Returning home and entering a new career as a television journalist, he had several interesting encounters with pugnacious New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon.

Rich in heart, humor, and charm, Kiwi Roots is a nostalgic journey through New Zealand of the 1950s to 1980s. Author John Mullinder weaves a captivating narrative of his adventures and travels, painting a vibrant tapestry of his life that will both entertain and inspire readers. This book is for all those wanderers out there who crave new experiences in their lives. John also has a personable writing style, which makes the book all the more engaging. I found some of his anecdotes truly hilarious and heartwarming. John's experiences are a delight to savor. The stories are unpredictable, and you never know where the adventure will take you. All in all, this is a riveting memoir. If you enjoy inspirational stories, I highly recommend Kiwi Roots.

In the acknowledgment appendix to John Mullinder’s Kiwi Roots, the author says he tried his best to describe his early years in New Zealand, and he smoothly and captivatingly succeeds in doing so. He writes in a clear journalistic style, beginning with his family roots and ending with his departure as a young married man with children to a new beginning in Canada. A map of the nation precedes the narrative, useful as he describes his growing up there, his in-country travels, his early education, his amateur rugby career, and his move from teaching to journalism. He also describes his fascinating and harrowing trip through South America. Though every life has its struggles, Mullinder approaches his in a light-hearted manner with occasional hilarious scenes, particularly of the pranks he and his older brother pulled in their growing-up years. The book is divided in the middle by a delightful family photograph album. Particularly useful is a glossary that defines words that non-New Zealanders probably don’t know.

I found this memoir not only fun to read but highly educational about a part of the world I knew very little about. I particularly appreciated his frankness, and I wondered sometimes if his friends and family might have raised an eyebrow here and there. The story of his father being shot down over Occupied France in WW2, even having been declared dead in a telegram to his family, is particularly dramatic. John’s growing-up struggles with his dad and older brother were presented bluntly. I chuckled at a photograph of his dad with a domesticated magpie perched on his head! Most gripping for me, however, was the complicated issue of racism in family, education, sports, and global relations. And of course, the eventual development in love and family. Kiwi Roots by John Mullinder is lively, funny, enlightening, and, from beginning to end, a joy to read.

John Mullinder is your average 1950s New Zealander; he fights with his older brother, gets up to mischief at school, and causes some grief for his parents. He grows up to be a part-time rugby player, a journalist, a husband, and a father. Kiwi Roots is the story of the first 34 years of his life. Boy, did he have an adventurous time. His journey across South America with his mate was eye-opening; he’s lucky he didn’t die—more than once. In both roles as a rugby player and journalist, he has the opportunity to meet some very famous New Zealanders. Kiwi Roots by John Mullinder is a wonderful look at life in New Zealand in the last few decades of the 20th century, through the eyes of a very passionate man.

The best memoirs are the ones that entertain yet educate at the same time. John Mullinder nails it. As an Aussie who was born in the 1960s, I grew up in much the same ambiance and remember the world events he mentions. For me, it was a trip down memory lane; for younger readers, this will be a history lesson, but a very fun one. John has a gift for storytelling. I mean, he’s hanging over a ledge perilously close to death, yet the reader can’t help chuckling with him at being in this dilemma in the first place. John is moral, ethical, and a downright good guy, so that makes him instantly endearing to the reader. The memoir is reasonably short, less than 200 pages, yet he packs 34 years into it exceptionally well. One entire chapter covers a few months of travel, yet it doesn’t feel truncated or rushed. I highly recommend Kiwi Roots to anyone who wants to know more about life in New Zealand, or who enjoys a laugh while listening to some larger-than-life stories.