Paradise Bay
He wrote his first novel "The Little Country" about pioneer life in 19th century New Plymouth while recovering in bed from the rugby accident. Together with "Paradise Bay", they are regarded as New Zealand classics; the English critic Marghanita Laski wrote that "Paradise Bay" was "an excellent book and a potential New Zealand classic if ever there was one". However, "Paradise Bay" has been called "thin and contrived" by comparison with his first novel. The novel "The Seekers" was filmed in 1954 as The Seekers. Along with "The Little Country", both novels were controversial in New Plymouth as some locals thought they recognised themselves in the novels.