Airana Ngarewa

This is a sad story of teenage Kauri and his younger brother Black growing up in rural Taranaki, although this is never specified. The narrative voice is Kauri, neither of the boys have had a formal education. Their is a freedom to their lives. Mum has died six months earlier and Dad had buried or disposed of her somewhere on the property. Their living circumstances are grim. The house dilapidated and Dad a violent, I might add, Irish alcoholic. He has a dim view of authority being himself a victim of the fostercare system. Mum had been very vocal about the loss of her Maori identity in the school system, so neither parent had allowed Kauri or his brother a formal educatioon. Word has got out to the Ministry of Education, that there are boys not attending school. However the boys succeed in evading them.
When ther Father, too, becomes ill, Kauri nurses him until he dies and does his best to look after young Black. He knows they will be vulnerable to CYPS intervention and Black's likely removal, if discovered. Kauri knows of Dad's stash of money and walks to the city, one assumes New Plymouth, seeking food. An elderly Maori woman, runs a small dairy and gives him food. He then decides on another foray further into the city to see if by finding his father's local pub, he will learn more about him. He is befriended by another alcoholic Tea, who knew his Dad and likewise takes an interest. At this point coincidences start to abound. The woman, we eventually learn, is his maternal grandmother and Tea, her son, Kauri and Black's uncle. There are more meetings in this vain.

Athough, this book is intended as a criticism of government departments failure to meet the needs of Maori, I felt, it also highlighted the need for outside intervention, as their circumstances are fraught with danger for them both.… (mehr)