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  • North & South

    NEW ZEALAND BOOKS

    Oct 13, 2019 4 minutes
    edited by PAUL LITTLE

    Someone’s Wife: A Memoir of Sorts

    Linda Burgess (Allen & Unwin, $37)

    The title refers to the author’s long-time position as not just anyone’s wife, but that of an All Black – Bob Burgess (1971-73, 30 matches, seven internationals – stats she mysteriously fails to include). The eponymous essay is a deadpan description of aspects of life as a member of the group who would “be called WAGS now”. Every word in it is perfectly picked and placed. In a literary landscape littered with anodyne AB bios, this is a rare, all-too-brief glimpse into real life behind the grandstand facade, made even better by Burgess’ wit and incisive observation. As far as I know, she is the first person to

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