A Better Life: The Diary of Ivana Ivanovich is the second book in My New Zealand Story. It was written by Amelia Batistich; her only for the series. The book was published on August 31, 2003 and was followed by Abandon Ship! by Shirley Corlett.
"It is Dargaville, in the mid-1920s. Through her diary, eleven-year-old Ivana Ivanovich introduces us to her strong Dalmatian community. Ivana's life revolves around the local convent school, Saturday matinées, and the boarding house she calls home. She loves school, looks forward to a wedding in the family, and puts up with elocution lessons because she knows her parents want her to have 'a better life'. All the same, Ivana wishes her name didn't end with 'ich'. Then, as 1924 draws to a close, the little community is rocked by an epidemic that means children are forbidden to congregate anywhere...not even to go to school or church."
