Historical fiction books set in New Zealand (8)
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1.
Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff EN
Country: Oceania / 
New Zealand
New Zealand
Description:
Life as a Maori in present day New Zealand, chronicling their poverty, their alcoholism and their despair. The narrator is a Maori woman who has nothing but contempt for Maori men--warriors who degenerated into lazy bums.
2.
The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke by Tina Makereti EN
Country: Oceania / New Zealand
New Zealand
Description:
"The hour is late. The candle is low. Tomorrow I will see whether it is my friends or a ship homewards I meet. But I must finish my story for you first. My future, my descendant, my mokopuna. Listen. So begins the tale of James Poneke: orphaned son of a chief; ardent student of English; wide-eyed survivor. All the worlds a stage, especially when youre a living exhibit. But anything can happen to a young New Zealander on the savage streets of Victorian London. When James meets the man with laughing dark eyes and the woman who dresses as a man, he begins to discover who people really are beneath... continue
3.
The Uncle's Story : A Novel by Witi Ihimaera EN
Country: Oceania / New Zealand
New Zealand
Description:
Set in the war-torn jungles of Vietnam and in presentday New Zealand and North America, Witi Ihimaera's new novel confronts Maori attitudes toward sexuality and masculinity and contains some of the author's most passionate writing to date.
4.
Sleeps Standing by Witi Ihimaera, Hēmi Kelly EN
Country: Oceania / New Zealand
New Zealand
Description:
Both fiction and fact, this fascinating book is a kaleidoscopic exploration of the Battle of Orakau. During three days in 1864, 300 Maori men, women and children fought an Imperial army and captured the imagination of the world. The battle marked the end of the Land Wars in the Waikato and resulted in vast tracts of land being confiscated for European settlement. Instead of following the usual standpoint of the victors, this book takes a Maori perspective. It is centred around Witi Ihimaera's moving novella, Sleeps Standing, which views the battle through the eyes of a 16-year-old boy named Mo... continue
5.
The Parihaka Woman by Witi Ihimaera EN
Country: Oceania / New Zealand
New Zealand
Description:
A wonderfully surprising, inventive and deeply moving riff on fact and fiction, history and imagination from one of New Zealand's finest and most memorable storytellers. There has never been a New Zealand novel quite like The Parihaka Woman. Richly imaginative and original, weaving together fact and fiction, it sets the remarkable story of Erenora against the historical background of the turbulent and compelling events that occurred in Parihaka during the 1870s and 1880s. Parihaka is the place Erenora calls home, a peaceful Taranaki settlement overcome by war and land confiscation. As her worl... continue
6.
Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings by Tina Makereti EN
Country: Oceania / New Zealand
New Zealand
Description:
From the Chatham Islands/ Rekohu to London, from 1835 to the 21st century, this quietly powerful and compelling novel confronts the complexity of being Moriori, Maori and Pakeha. In the 1880s, Mere yearns for independence. Iraia wants the same but, as the descendant of a slave, such things are hardly conceivable. One summer, they notice their friendship has changed, but if they are ever to experience freedom they will need to leave their home in the Queen Charlotte Sounds. A hundred years later, Lula and Bigs are born. The birth is literally one in a million, as their mother, Tui, likes to say... continue
7.
Kāwai: for Such a Time As This by Monty Souter EN
Country: Oceania / New Zealand
New Zealand
Description:
''This epic historical adventure tells the story of pre-colonial Aotearoa New Zealand like it's never been told before. A young Maori man, compelled to learn the stories of his ancestors, returns to his family marae on the east coast of the North Island to speak to his elderly grand-uncle, the keeper of the stories. What follows is the enthralling account of the young man's tipuna, the legendary warrior Kaitanga, after whom his marae's whare puni has been named. Tracing the author's own ancestral line, Kawai: For Such a Time as This reveals a picture of an indigenous Aotearoa in the mid-18th c... continue
8.
Country: Oceania / New Zealand
New Zealand
Description:
Uprooted from his privileged European life and sent to New Zealand to sort himself out, 21-year-old Daniel pieces together the history of his Maori family. As his relatives revisit their past, Daniel learns of a remarkable love story between his Maori grandmother Oriwia and his Japanese grandfather Chappy. The more Daniel hears about his deceased grandfather, the more intriguing and elusive Chappy becomes. In this touching portrayal of family life, acclaimed writer Patricia Grace explores racial intolerance, cross-cultural conflicts and the universal desire to belong. Spanning several decades ... continue