Rosemary Carey (nee Wight) was born in 1950 and raised in Huntly, Wakato, New Zealand where she had an idyllic childhood. This was followed by boarding school at Auckland Diocesan and three years at Waikato Teacher’s College. She married Bryan and 1972 . They travelled extensively overseas together before returning to Hamilton, New Zealand in 1976 to begin a family. Primary School teaching and specialising in Special Needs has dominated her teaching career, along with raising three beautifully strong and independent daughters. She has moved houses several times following teaching positions around the Waikato, the Maniototo, South Island, New Zealand and overseas.
In 1884 she began to take her Christian faith seriously. After teaching in British Columbia, she and her family lived in a Christian Community for seven wonderful years, which was followed by three years training for voccational ministry in the Anglican Church and completing her Special Needs Diploma . She was ordained in 2001 as a deacon, gained her Bachelor of Teaching in 2004 and in 2007 was ordained Priest and became the Vicar of St Mary’s Gordonton, Waikato, New Zealnd.
In 2010 she published her first historical novel called “The Walnut Legacy”, which is based on the true story of her Great grnadfather Thomas Coto a Chinese migrant who found himself in Australia at the age of ten. His story was translated into a Chinese edition in Cantonese and published in 2011, with a further translation into Manderin published in 2014.
After moving to Havelock North in 2014, she served as a Hospital Chaplain and a school Chaplain at Hereworth. In 2016, their adoted Fijian son was able to join them in New Zealand.
She retired in 2017 to travel and write.
In 2021 her second historical novel, “Ethel’s Story “, based around the true story of her maternal grandmother was published with a second edition published in 2022.
Rosemary is now settled with Bryan in Mangakuri, Hawkes Bay, enjoying writing and offering hospitality to whoever God sends their way. In 2022 she was professed as a third order Franciscan.
Her greatest joy is being grandmother to their nine grandchildren. Her life has been abundantly full and blessed with love. It is her hope that through her life and writing, her old school motto should reflect the joy that serving Christ has brought to her life- “Ut Serviamus”- To serve.