“Hine Toa” by Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku

I first learned about this book in March and because I remembered Ngahuia from my days in Auckland on the periphery of the women’s movement, I immediately put a hold on it at the library, where I was #2 on two copies. The book was launched on 20 April, when I heard Ngahuia interviewed by Susie Fergusson, and during the following week the book was featured on Reading Room, all of which roused my anticipation to read it. It took a further four weeks for my hold to appear, and I wondered again whether the library staff get to read new books before they are released to the public.

I felt the prologue gave the reader a fitting introduction to the story. Ngāhuia’s depiction of her early years in Rotorua were compelling, especially her growing awareness of being lesbian, while also conforming to expected standards. She was born in the same year as me, but our upbringings could not have been more different.

Her years in Auckland interested me because I was also in that city at that time, but again her life was far removed from my experiences as a wife and mother. During the 1970s I was ignorant about racism and lesbians, although my involvement with the Values Party soon educated me, and I was also on the fringes of Broadsheet.

I enjoyed reading about the visit of Germaine Greer, and times in the Kiwi Hotel, which was the scene for some of my underage drinking. I also liked Ngāhuia’s description of hippies sprouting like colourful noxious weeds all over campus. This book is a must for anyone interested in social history.

A Māori hine truly brave
who knew just how she might behave

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“Checkerboard Hill” by Jade Kake

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

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“Change Everything” by Natalie Bennett

I want everyone to read this book!

Natalie Bennett was previously Editor of the Guardian Weekly, the leader of the Green Party in England and Wales from 2012-16, and is now one of two Green Party members of the House of Lords.

Her writing covers the whole planet, and the details of what has happened in England is often a reflection of what has happened in Aotearoa. Every idea in this book has been road-tested in discussions and honed by interaction. The author’s aim is to set out a vision of hope. I long for the utopia she details, which is just, sustainable, and community-based. Many of her ideas sparked memories of similar concepts that were part of the Values Party philosophy in the 1970s, here brought totally up to date. Natalie writes practically and directly, giving familiar examples and fascinating anecdotes. She makes an excellent argument for a Universal Basic Income and the freedom this could bring. Those of us who receive NZ Super experience some of that freedom.

This is a comprehensive overview of what’s wrong with our world. I loved the way she refers to advertising as lying for profit, and was interested that she uses U3A as an example of alternative community education. As Natalie says, we get the politics a few pay for, rather than a genuine democratic system. I read her consideration that the U.K. needs a constitution at the same time that I was reading a novel about the Chartists. Her exposé of political corruption is depressing, especially as I’ve just watched the documentary about Mr Bates and the Post Office.

We are lucky in Aotearoa to have Proportional Representation and some acceptance of indigenous knowledge. This book mentions that Aotearoa has a Living Standards Framework which takes measures of human, natural, and economic wellbeing, and uses them to guide the spending decisions of the government. I’m not sure that this is still true under our current coalition government.

Natalie stresses the importance of community. Sadly our local Avon Loop community has diminished since the earthquakes, and the number of local residents who volunteer to support the community has also declined. We are lucky to still have our Community Cottage and easy access to the riverbank and red zone.

It’s suggested that the slogan of turning swords into ploughshares could be updated to turn weapons into wind turbines. Above all, Natalie stresses that politics can be what you do, not what is done to you, and everyone can make a difference. She gives practical suggestions as to how we can jointly choose a positive direction, rethink the ways our societies operate, restore that which has been frayed and worn down, and rebuild a sustainable, caring, joyful way of living.

The book is published by Unbound, the world’s first crowdfunding publisher, and at the back there is a long list of those who have financially supported the publication. I’ve requested that Christchurch City Libraries buy a copy. Please contact me if you’d like to borrow the copy I have.

It’s great to see ideas so Green
put out into the mainstream scene

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“Emperor of Rome” by Mary Beard

Mary Beard is a great writer and presenter who makes ancient Rome relevant in modern times. I was excited to get her latest book from the library and learn more about power in that ancient world.

Mary has an appealing turn of phrase and excels in relating events in ancient Rome to the modern day. For instance she says that the conquest of Britain “might aptly be dubbed Rome’s Afghanistan”. There are many intriguing details about Roman life. Descriptions of imperial dinner parties mention the eating of flamingo brains (Elagabalus) and flamingo tongues (Vitellius). Not easy reading for this flamingo-phile! The stories of how various men rose to power are gripping, and Mary notes that there were never any British senators.

I took Latin for four years, and I think this book would be attractive to someone with more detailed knowledge of Roman history. I enjoyed the first three chapters and probably won’t read much more. Stephen’s knowledge of Rome, especially Roman Britain, is much wider, and I’ll leave the book to him for the next three weeks before it needs to be returned to the library where 21 people are waiting for it.

In ancient Rome life could be tough
I think that I have read enough

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