We’re excited to be giving away two copies of Sorry Rock by Thalia Henry to our GrownUps members!
To be in the draw, simply make sure you’re a GrownUps member, signed up to our newsletter, and fill in your details at the bottom of the page.
About Sorry Rock
A compelling and moving novel from New Zealand writer Thalia Henry, a story set in two remarkable places, where family and connection to the land are intertwined.
On the wild west coast of Aotearoa, twelve-year-old Ned lives with his mother in a bach above Te Henga’s black sand beach. He is thoughtful and observant, the sort of boy who knows that too much in his life is unexplained.
His cousin Hugo is different. Restless, he pushes towards trouble. Alice stands apart from them, older, still tethered to memories of a childhood in the Northern Territory.
With an ochre rock at the beating heart of this story, their journey draws Ned, Hugo, and Alice from New Zealand’s volcanic shoreline to Australia’s red desert. Along the way, they begin to uncover the silences surrounding the women who raised them, absent fathers, and the consequences of choices made long before they were old enough to question.
‘Compelling, moving and grounded in two remarkable landscapes. Henry reminds us, in shining prose, that family and connection to place are often tangled, and the deepest emotions unspoken. Sometimes we need to return to a place to understand who we are and what is home.’ ~ Inga Simpson, author of Once We Were Wildlife
‘Gritty in every sense and achingly real.’ ~ Jennifer Lane, author of Miracle
Author Note
‘I am interested in nature writing, and in how the environment is as integral to a story as the characters. Sorry Rock is set in both Te Henga (Bethells Beach) and the Northern Territory – two contrasting landscapes that share an iron-rich chemistry that darkens Te Henga’s black sand while turning the Northern Territory a deep ochre red.
The title of this work is derived from the term Sorry Rocks, sometimes used by visitors to Uluru in the Northern Territory to describe rocks taken from the site and later returned out of remorse, often accompanied by apology letters. Learning about these returns reminded me of similar occurrences in Aotearoa. I was inspired to write a story that, at its heart, centres on a single rock but is ultimately about a beachside family who have experienced loss and made mistakes as they work towards healing. The story alternates in perspectives between five members of a New Zealand family, though the main protagonist is a teenage boy named Ned. A key theme is how adults’ actions impact young people.
Research for Sorry Rock combined locational research with cultural consultation. I visited Alice Springs and Uluru, and consulted with Aboriginal readers including Emu Lewis (Frank & Co Manuscript Service, Melbourne), Meg Friel (On Time Typing, Editing and Proofreading, Darwin), and Richard King (General Manager of the APY organisation in South Australia, representing Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Aṉangu, the traditional custodians of Uluru and Kata Tjuta).’
About the Author
Thalia Henry lives in Tāmaki Makaurau and grew up in the coastal town of Karitāne, Otago. Sorry Rock is her second novel. Her debut, Beneath Pale Water, inspired by the South Island high country, won a Gold Award at the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) in the Australia / New Zealand Best Regional Fiction category. Thalia’s work has also appeared in UK and New Zealand anthologies, including Botanical Short Stories (The History Press). She has also developed work for the stage.
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Terms and conditions
You must be a GrownUps member and subscribed to our newsletter to be eligible to enter.
The competition closes on 26th August 2026. Winners will be notified via email by 27th August 2026.
It is your responsibility to provide a correct New Zealand postal address for prize delivery. GrownUps is not responsible for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
Winners will be drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
GrownUps employees and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.
By entering, you agree to GrownUps using your name on social media as a winner of the competition.
One entry per household.
The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other items.
You must reside in New Zealand, as the prize can only be delivered within New Zealand.
You must be over 50 years of age to enter. Please ensure your membership details are up to date in your dashboard.
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