Author Monty Soutar and daughter Oriwia Longhurst look over the cover of the second novel in the Kawai series. Oriwia, a professional photographer, took the photo of her sister Te Tuhi, which appears on the cover of Kawai: Tree of Nourishment.
Author Monty Soutar and daughter Oriwia Longhurst look over the cover of the second novel in the Kawai series. Oriwia, a professional photographer, took the photo of her sister Te Tuhi, which appears on the cover of Kawai: Tree of Nourishment.
Book two of Gisborne author Monty Soutar’s acclaimed trilogy series Kawai: For Such A Time As is now in city bookstores.
Part one of the trilogy was the No 1 best-selling New Zealand fiction novel for 26 weeks when it was released two years ago.
Publishers Bateman Books said its success exceeded expectations.
“Clearly, New Zealanders were ready for an epic saga about the history of Aotearoa, written from a Māori perspective, before the arrival of Europeans,” publishers said.
The second book in the series - entitled Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment - is being touted by its publishers as “one of the hottest items in the New Zealand book trade”.
The second book in Monty Soutar's Kāwai trilogy is on bookstore shelves across the country.
The storyline picks up a generation after where part one left off.
“It’s 1818 on the East Coast of Te Ika-a-Māui, Aotearoa. Hine-aute, granddaughter of the legendary warrior Kaitanga, is fleeing through the bush, a precious yet gruesome memento contained in her fishing net,” Dr Soutar told the Gisborne Herald.
“The Europeans have arrived and they’ve brought muskets and foreign diseases, ushering in a whole new world of terror. But they’ve also brought a new religion, which will cause Māori to question everything they believe in,” he said.
“Hine and her sons, Ipumare and Uha, are caught in the crossfire of change that is creating fractures in their close familial bonds and undermining everything they hold dear.”
Dr Soutar says Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment delves into the profound impact of early colonisation.
“From raids by musket-wielding war parties to heightened internal warfare, from the influx of whalers, traders and Christian missionaries to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
“It took me two years instead of one to complete due to a few setbacks I experienced last year.
“The discussion about the Treaty seems timely given the coalition Government’s focus on it. The Labour Government had a year to run when I started writing this novel, so I, like most, hadn’t foreseen what was coming.
“My hope is that through this series, New Zealanders will be better informed as we navigate decisions for our future.
“In the past, I believe we did a disservice to the country by limiting the perspectives on our history and I wanted to make my small contribution to a better Aotearoa New Zealand by sharing the knowledge I have.”
The Gisborne launch of Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment will take place at C Company Memorial House in Stout St, on Wednesday, October 16, at 5.30pm.
Dr Soutar will also be speaking and signing books at HB Williams Library on Tuesday, October 22, at 6pm.
* Monty Soutar was awarded the Creative New Zealand Michael King Writer’s Fellowship to write this series. He has worked widely with iwi and Māori communities, in particular while writing Nga Tama Toa, which told the story of C Company 28 (Māori) Battalion in World War II. His latest non-fiction publication Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E! focused on Māori participation in World War I. He has held a number of appointments on national advisory boards, including the Archives NZ Council, the Guardians of the Alexander Turnbull Library, the First World War Centenary Panel and the Waitangi Tribunal. Until recently, he held the position of senior historian for the Ministry of Culture and Heritage and continues to serve on the tribunal.
