Early 1975. Maddalena Strozzi has just started her first job as reporter for the Dunedin Chronicle. The chief reporter, in between gawping at her cleavage, sends her off to report on garden shed fires and the local tennis club matchdays. Thanks to some luck, her staunchly supportive friends and fellow journalists, Maddi slowly gets a few more interesting tasks such as visiting a "sun club", interviewing touring politicians and the director of the hit musical Hair.

Behind the glitz though, lurks the underbelly of the Seventies, where abortion is illegal, screaming young girls considered fair game, and Maddi is automatically selected to cover for the daily Women's Page editor.

At least it diverts her mind from her reluctant boyfriend and her self-obsessed mother.

A time-capsule to make you smile, laugh and cry.

Brigitte Roxane is a former journalist, a lecturer, a writer. She has lived and worked in several countries, including New Zealand.