R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed on 2/14/2011 + 1438 more book reviews

It's the first I've read about the Maori and the story which is a blend of fact and fiction flows so well. I was a bit worried as the reviewers I saw rated it 3 stars but for me that means I liked the book. It is certainly worth reading. Believed by many of the settlers in New Zealand to be ignorant heathen, the intelligence exhibited by both individuals and the tribes seems quite complex. The role of Maori beliefs in their gods is fascinating. The eruption of Mount Terawera was fortold by a 104-year-old Maori tunga named Tuhuto who was rescued after being buried by ash and mud. His rescue and death is recorded in the country's historical records as is the sighting of the death canoe prior to the eruption. This read makes one want to read much more about the Maori. What a fascinating tribe of people! And Foster weaves a story of the whites who settled the area around the Maori, using one family as a primary focus.

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