Over the past week, Francesca Rudkin has been reading the new book by Wendyl Nissen, and it’s been a compelling and utterly gripping read from the first page for her.

The book stems from Wendyl’s decision in 2018, to take her parents in, to live with her and husband Paul in their Hokianga home.

At the time, her mother Elis, had early stage Alzheimer’s.

While caring for her mother, Wendyl learned of family secrets and stories that she had never heard before.

Stories of loss, grief and love, that gave Wendyl a new understanding of her mother and her family.

Those stories are now a book, My Mother and Other Secrets.

Wendyl Nissen joins Francesca Rudkin from the beautiful Hokianga.

LISTEN ABOVE