From a girl growing up in Hawkes Bay to a woman living on Waiheke Island, 'My First Pash and Other Stories' offers a series of entertaining tales of a life lived in New Zealand. At times gipping, funny, tragic, and cathartic, these stories condense the experience of a whole life into a few pages. In her warm, frank and colloquial style, Soljak also offers a subtle yet biting critique of New Zealand society.