Misconduct
Bridget van der Zijpp
Publication 18 April 2008
paperback
210mm x 140mm
$30
Fiction
Misconduct is a moving novel about the possibility of redemption, the sweet and sour taste of revenge and a woman’s
search for friendship and love.
Simone is struggling as her fortieth birthday looms. She’s lost her job, her license, her boyfriend and probably her
chance for a family. In fact she’s in danger of losing the plot altogether. In a sudden eruption of resentment, she
steals her former lover’s car, drives it behind an old abandoned factory, and torches it. Her best friend, worried about
how dangerous she seems, offers Simone a way out – a house-sitting opportunity at a remote beach.
She began to be seduced by the idea of a lovely, distant solitude. And actually she had good incentive to leave.
With only the responsibility of somebody else’s perpetually cheerful dog, Simone values her isolation – but her elderly
neighbours have other ideas and begin to pull her into their eccentric lives.
Just as Simone begins to embrace the possibilities of her new life and find perspective, she finds the past is not easy
to leave behind.
Bridget van der Zijpp (pronounced ‘z-eye-p’ and rhymes with ‘type’) was born in Ruawai, Northland. After a career in
commercial radio in Auckland, she moved to Wellington and began writing fiction. A full bio and a brief discussion of
the book’s theme follows.
Van der Zijpp’s gentle humour and the authenticity of her cast of fringe dwellers completely seduced me.
Fiona Farrell