Ingoa (Name) :Tuoi Spencer
Pukapuka (Book): Tides of Kawhia
Momo (Genre): Novel, historical fiction
Whakaaro (Thoughts):
This book was recommended to me many years ago from a close cousin of mine Tania Ropata. At the time, I was learning Te Reo Māori at Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Ōtaki and really struggling to get a grasp on “tirohanga Māori” or an old world view, and this book really helped me.
There are many books out there but ‘Tides of Kawhia’, the people in it, the troubles they endured and the places they inhabited really resonated with me. I think if you have any whakapapa to Raukawa, Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Toarangatira then this is definitely a book you should read.
This is part one of a 3 part series, the 2nd book- ‘Pathway to Taranaki’ and the the 3rd – ‘Shadows of Kapiti’. The setting is precolonial Aotearoa and in my opinion Tom O’connor does an amazing job describing New Zealand’s natural landscapes and all that walk ,fly and swim within them. The story follows a fictional character who grows alongside the famous Te Rauparaha and joins him on his expeditions to the south. Overall, this is a great read with lots of historical descriptions of Māori warfare and the complexities of the time. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Māori culture, especially if you're tired of reading early accounts written by biased missionaries and colonial invaders.