The Smell of an Oily Rag by Cherry Simmonds

Review by NZWW Bookclub member Dawn Falkner: The Smell of an oily Rag is Cherry Simmonds’ second book, her first being Nobody in Particular. This non-fiction book is written from the perspective of a British immigrant arriving to New Zealand in the 1970s and having to adapt to a different culture, food and lifestyle. Perenially short of money, Cherry recalls her disastrous efforts to find work and describes her experiences in an hilarious manner. I think the book, which she claims is a true account of her early years in Godzone, draws rather heavily on a victim mentality and her overuse of well-weathered jokes, which also makes me doubt the veracity of her story. Nevertheless, it’s a good read.