In this great Maori saga with its wild rhythm, the young Simeon rebels at his own risk against the fierce authoritarianism of the patriarch of his extended family. He takes us on a journey of discovery of the world—love, injustice, competition, religion and hypocrisy, secrets, freedom—with a caustic humour that makes his struggles on all fronts all the more poignant. With truculent dialogues and unforgettable scenes, Witi Ihimaera brilliantly depicts the Shakespearean rivalry between two Maori clans and leaves no stone unturned to invite us into a picaresque New Zealand that could only lead to a film, Mahana, directed by Lee Tamahori in 2016.
Montana Book Awards
