The Whale Rider

The Whale Rider
by: Witi Ihimaera
152 pages hardback
1987

Written primarily from the view point of a loving uncle, this Maori "fable" is an interesting account of the life of an eight-year-old girl.  Had Kahu been a first-born son, there would be a different story to tell.  But this little girl persevered in spite of receiving any affection from the great-grandfather that she adored, and in the end, she saved the day.  Intersperse in the story are Maori phrases (often the explanation immediately following) so like the other books I have read about New Zealand, the use of additional language give a rich texture to the reading experience.  There are very poetic chapters about whales and their lives which also provides variety to what would be a very straight-forward story plot.  The characters are consistent and likable (even the grumpy grandparents) and easy to picture in the ways in which they interacted with one another. 
Tribal history and the desire to preserve it played a role in the novel.  Perhaps the bits I liked best was the uncle's travels to Australia and on to Papua New Guinea and the discoveries he made about himself while he was away.  When he returned home he was glad to be back and had a deeper appreciation for all that he had left. 
This is a quick and enjoyable read that makes me happy for family and the value of community. Oh, and the novel was made into a movie, but i have not seen it.

The Bone People

The Bone People
by Keri Hulme
1983
450 pages, paperback

The Bone People is the third book now that I have read about New Zealand.  As the first two books were more about New Zealand facts, I was ready for a novel that combined facts along with a story that I found hard to put down.  This is a griping novel that is meant to be read slowly, in my opinion, slowly enough to take the time to look up the Maori meanings to words and phrases in the glossary at the back of the book. 
Kere Hulme does an incredible job of character development, bringing to life on the page, three people whose lives intersect to form a type of a family.  Abuse is a major theme throughout the story and because of this, I was unsure if I would be able to read it, but it was also filled with devoted love, a fascinating description of the New Zealand wild country, birds, trees, sea-life, food, and a wide range of language (poetic imagery, profanity, slang, and Maori). 
Kerewin, the main character, is a poet, artist and somewhat of a hermit.  She is intellectual, brave and drinks way more than is healthy.  She is a pale-skinned Maori, very independent, quick-witted, and gets great pleasure from playing the guitar.  Her home is a tower by the sea. 
Joe, a Maori with dark skin, is a young widow, works in a factory, rides a motorcycle and spends lots of time in the local pub.  His extended family live near-by and they are woven into the story just enough to provide more texture.
A young boy named Simon brings Joe and Kerewin together.  Simon is a sole survivor of a boating accident, has golden-white hair, green eyes, a small frame and is mute.  Joe becomes his foster father and devotes his life to caring for Simon's many unique needs yet disciplines Simon far beyond what is good. 
The book is not an easy read for many reasons; the punctuation is challenging, the use of Maori words add depth yet makes one need to concentrate more on the flow of story, thoughts are recorded as if they were conversation, poetry is intertwined, and the Maori belief of the spiritual realm shows up at various times. So the reader really needs to stay committed to keeping everything straight. 
However, I really liked the book (it was winner of 1885 Booker Prize). I did find the ending to be a bit too abrupt.  I would have liked a few more of the novel's questions answered more fully.  I'm not sure who to recommend this book to.  It gave me plenty to think though concerning how people think, respond and interact to each other, to crisis, to loneliness, to life, to death.  A friend from the Grove loaned me her copy of The Bone People and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to read it, especially after time in New Zealand.  Thanks Leanne!

No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency The Limpo Academy of Private Detection

The New No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency 
The Limpo Academy of Private Detection

by: Alexander McCall Smith
hardback 257 pages
2012

I just now realize that i have skipped a few mysteries in the detective series written by Alexander McCall, for i was at the library and thought i reading a book about Africa would be nice as i seek to picture Sofi living there.  I found the No.1 Ladies Detective Series but because I was without my glasses a could not tell which one was next for me to read.  The Green book looked good so i chose this one and right away i was transported back to an Africa that i have never been but one that i had read of in Thailand when i first was introduced to these delightful books.
Life goes at a slow pace and it is easy to get into step with Mma Romostwe and those in her life in Botswana.  The biggest news is that Mma Makutsi is now married (that may have happened in the book called The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party) and she and her husband are building a home.  The matron of the orphanage, Mma Potokwane has been forced out of her role...there is a need for a detective here and how wonderful for the author of the "bible" of private detection, Clovis Andersen, to have arrived in Botswana and to be involved with the progress. 
i always learn a new word or two when i read the detection stories as Alexander McCall does a wonderful job in creating Africa in his descriptions and in using a few local words to add to the flavor of all the bush tea that gets consumed through the pages of the mysteries as they are solved.  "Pula, pula,pula!" is what i learned this time and as page 187 tells, it "is the cry of triumph, of joy, that was universal in Botswana.  It mean rain, rain, rain,--just the right cry for a dry country that lived for the day that the first life-giving rains arrived-- that day of ominous purple skies, and heat, and the wind that precedes the first drops of water spattering on dancing on the baked ground."
Another great read, not too ambitious, but with good insight to human character as seen through the eyes of a traditionally built woman who has a heart as big as the country.
in my opinion, the books do not need to be read in order, for each story gives enough detail for you to enjoy it on its own and each has a satisfactory conclusion.  For a closing remark i will quote Mma Romostwe's thoughts on friendship, "New friendships can be every bit as strong as old friendships, and of course became old friendships in due course." 
These books are like spending time with a good friend.

Blue Shoes and Happiness

Blue Shoes and Happiness is the latest in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.

It does not take any time at all and you step right into Africa, smelling the aroma of pumpkin cooking, see the wide open sky, and feel the warmth of the sun make your skin brown.

It is another great read featuring Mma Ramotswe with her traditional build and little white van.  She insightfully solves the mysteries of day to day events in the lives of other Botswanians as she also relates to those who make her life meaningful. 

Here is a little exchange that gives you a taste of what you get with Blue Shoes and Happpiness: ...

On the way she remarked to Mma Makutsi that she was not wearing her new blue shoes that day.  "Was she giving them a rest? One should rotate one’s shoes, said Mma Ramatswe, that is well known."

Mma Makusi smiled, she was embarrassed, but in the warm intimacy of the truck, at such a moment, after the emotionally cathartic showdown they had all just witnessed, she felt that she could speak freely of shoes,’ ’they are a bit small for me Maa, she confessed.  I think you were right, but I felt great happiness when I wore them, and I shall always remember that.  They are such beautiful shoes.”

Maa Ramotswe laughed. “”Well, that is the important thing, isn’t it Mma? To feel happiness and then to remember it.” 

Blue Shoes and Happiness

author: Alexander McCall Smith

227 pg hard back
2006