This is a book with deep meaning. It shows the effects of life events without actually spelling them out. The main character is a Māori woman, now living in Aotearoa, who was born and brought up in Australia. A family death means she returns to her childhood home where she is confronted by various memories, and these lead to a later re-connection to her whanau in Aotearoa.
The text is sprinkled with words and phrases in te reo, and at first I found myself consulting a Māori dictionary to ensure I had the right meaning. As the story progressed I was content to believe that my smattering of the language, plus the context, was sufficient. One new word I learned was tīrairaka, another name for the pīwakawaka – perhaps a different dialect?
I found the details of protocol around tangi especially interesting, and would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in tikanga. The story is beautifully written, with wonderful descriptions.
Although born in another land
the links provide a place to stand
Inspirational review of this pukapuka. Ngā mihi nui.
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Thanks, Horomaka. Have you read it?
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Not yet, but your review has motivated me to seek it out in our local library.
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