"Nothing moves forward in a story except through conflict," writes Robert McKee of Story Seminar fame. Fair enough; obvious enough.
There's no lack of conflict - political, cultural, familial, internal - in Suraya Dewing's second novel. It's the early 1980s and a Springbok rugby tour is about to fracture conservative New Zealand.
Sophie, whose father is furious about losing a million-dollar land deal at Bastion Point because of "a bunch of malevolent Maoris", is enrolling at university, where she wants to find out more about her country's history. She does. She finds out even more about lean, six-foot-tall, shining-haired drummer and keyboardist Joe, whom she lusts after at the Orientation Ball. Joe is a Maori cop from the provinces. A St Cuth's girl and an Opunake boy: there's another promising conflict.
Interspersed with scenes of an anguished tangi and another, century-old confrontation at Taranaki's potent Parihaka, the plot follows the young couple as they make a choice glowing with youthful idealism and then find themselves tested by all manner of turbulent loyalties.
The right to play rugby collides with the right to be free and equal; the way of Te Whiti clashes with the ways of Black Power. Frictions and factions within one student flat become a microcosm of those challenging the whole country.
