Our Book of the Week this week is Jesse Ball's intelligent and beautifully written new novel Census (published by Text). In Census, when a widowed doctor, who cares for his adult son who has Down Syndrome, learns that he hasn't long to live, he takes a job as a census taker for a mysterious government agency and takes to the road with his son. 

>> Read Stella's review. 

>> Hear Stella review the book (without singing) on Radio NZ National (podcast).

>> Read an extract. 

>> Pursuing an abstract form of writing. 

>> Ball talks about writing the book. 

>>...and about walking around with his dog. 

>> Ball talks about how his relationship with his brother, who had Down Syndrome, led him to write this book. 

>> The New Zealand Down Syndrome Association. 

>> Other books by Jesse Ball at VOLUME.