Ruby and Edie navigate new friendships and difficult encounters as life at Arcadia House grows increasingly complicated. A visit to Janice’s home offers warmth, surprises, and fresh tensions, leaving Ruby to reassess where she and Edie truly belong. As possibilities for a better future emerge, so do new uncertainties.

Content Warning: Contains elements of violence and references to child abuse.

Made with support from NZ On Air, the Earle Creativity and Development Trust, and Manawatū People’s Radio.

Episode 11

MPR presents: A Respectable Veneer, written by Rachel Doré, published by Upstart Press and narrated by Romy Hooper.

This narration was made possible by funding from the Earle Creativity and Development Trust, with collaboration from Manawatu People’s Radio.

Set in 1954 New Zealand, the story follows single mother Ruby as she struggles to reinvent herself in a new town, determined to provide her ten-year-old daughter Edie with a respectable life.

Content Warning: A Respectable Veneer is a story of love and courage, but it contains references to violence and child abuse.