It’s 1818 on the East Coast of Te Ika-a-Māui, New Zealand. Hine-aute, granddaughter of the legendary warrior Kaitanga, is fleeing through the bush, a precious yet gruesome memento contained in her fishing net. The Europeans have arrived, and they’ve brought guns and foreign diseases, ushering in a whole new world of terror and trouble.
They’ve also brought a new religion, which will cause Māori to question everything they had believed to be true. Hine and her sons Ipumare and Uha are caught in the crossfire of change, creating fractures in their close familial bonds and undermining everything they hold dear. From raids by musket-wielding war parties to heightened internecine warfare; from the influx of whalers, traders and Christian missionaries to the signing of The Treaty of Waitangi, Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment is a reimagining of what Aotearoa was like in the 1800s.
It is the second instalment of historian Monty Soutar's Kāwai trilogy and is another gripping read. Soutar blends fact with fiction, providing a pathway to grab the reader's attention. At times the pacing felt a bit unsteady and there were parts that felt just a little clunky. However, Hine-aute and the challenges she faces swept me up.
Soutar (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Kahungunu) regularly centres te reo Māori in the story, with much of the dialogue between characters in the Māori language. An English language translation, italicised, sits alongside the dialogue. Each chapter begins with a whakataukī and a comprehensive glossary and whakapapa helps build the reader's knowledge even further.
It is a weighty tome of a book - not just in its physical size. Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment brings history to life in an informative and entertaining way, something a non-fictional text would struggle to do. It's an essential read and we are fortunate Soutar has gifted us with his knowledge to help us better understand our history as we look to the future.
Reviewer: Rebekah Lyell
Bateman Books