New Zealand Books

Jackie Huggins is a powerful writer and a real deadly tita, black aussie slang for phat sistah, and if you don't know what that translates to... you better ask somebody! But on the serious tip, I really related to Sister Girl because I am an African American female. Jackie writes about how race and gender blend and how they also have a tendency to collide. Moreover, I went to study abroad in Australia, which was supposed to be the most multi-cultural society-you know the mixed salad bowl theory. Well, after a couple of weeks I realized how white and culturally insensitive this exotic land was, at least it was at the University of Queensland, where I studied. I was in the city of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia and well I guess you could sort of compare it with an American southern town. Anyway, my most cultural experience was being enrolled in a class entitled Black Australian Literature, where the class read books written by Aboriginal women and men and also engaged in discussions about the social and political construction of race. Sister Girl was one of those books we read. I enjoyed it because it was not like most historical books you read. Jackie masterfully weaves "herstory" within the context of the social issues. I was almost in tears when I read the conversation between Jackie and bell hooks. "Wow, now that's racial solidarity and true sisterhood," I thought. Here we have an Aboriginal woman and an African American woman-two black women from two distinct parts of the world making a conscious effort to embrace each others unique concerns and identities as well as laugh and shout out a "right on sister!" or a "real deadly tita!" at their similarities. Reading this book was an eye opener to current political and social issues in the Aboriginal community and Australian multi-culturalism as a whole.It also gives a context and a history to racism and sexism on a personal and historical level. This book is an interesting read for Americans, regardless of gender or ethnicity, because Australian racism and sexism is so parallel to social issues in the U.S., and these issues effect both male and female/black and white. Jackie also has a way of connecting with the reader, and I'm not so sure if I felt this way because my identity is so closely related to Jackie's. Nonetheless, when I finished the book I felt that I knew who Jackie was, like I had made a personal connection with history. While reading the book I felt like I had gone on a journey with Jackie; I had laughed with her and experienced some of her pain, or at least came to an undersatnding of why a particular experience was painful to her and her people. Through the imagery she so vividly writes in, all of these feelings and understanding were achieved. I had a good time reading the book-and wouldn't you know it, I actually ended up meeting and speaking casually with Jackie Huggins at the end of the semester get-together my professor Sam Watson, another talented Aboriginal author, planned for our entire class. Jackie Huggins' Sister Girl is a real deadly read! I strongly recommend it to all those interested in decolonization, history,feminism and education. And Jackie if your reading this "Write on sister girl, write on!"

It is great they re-printed this book. My copy is actually an antique. The author was sent to Malaysia to do some survey work, but then WWI developed and he ended up stuck over there for about 6 years. This guy is a real laugh riot! I LOVE his writing style. He has very dry humor (my favorite!) and I laughed through much of the book. His survey work took him into jungles and some very isolated/remote areas, so he had a number of unusual experiences with natives, wildlife, insects, etc! His descriptions will keep you amused.

This is the incredible story of a group of people with a specific goal and a trail they knew something about, which was to lead them at first across the Southern Alps of New Zealand and then to North America and beyond. The path they had to follow, though, could only be found by intuition and vision: in order to get where they were going, they had to make the wisdom of chance and dreams more important than the counsel of logic. "Synchronicity" steered them in a way that no map could. So, their journey became one of spirit and courage. Not only is "The Song of the Stone" a compelling and humorous story, I don't think you could read this book without meeting a world of fabulous mystery and asking many dangerous questions. Is there something else to ask for from a book?

This is one of the most incredible books I've ever read on the history of New Zealand. Actually, one of the most incredible books I've ever read on any subject. This is a written oral history of the nation of Waitaha who populated NZ 70 generations ago (around 1750 years ago - 255BC). So it goes against accepted history for this country. But I believe it is genuine and it is authenticated in writing in the book by many of the top Maori elders. The information contained is so detailed, down to the finest detail, it is totally incredible. It gives me a completely new perspective on the history of the peoples of New Zealand and a great deal of respect for our proud, intelligent and remarkably resiliant and well-prepared ancestors. Also interesting to note that they talk of the coming-together of three races of different coloured skin/eyes/hair and that they sailed here from Easter Island. WOW - I recommend this book to anyone who can find it (and afford to buy it!).

This novel won the Goncourt Award in 1930 (This is the French equivalent of the Literature Pulitzer Award). It focus on the life of a former French Soldier of the First World War who after a conversation which one of his fellow comrades in arms feels the paradox inherent in everyone of life's conflicts. The conversation is broken to be retaken ten years afterwards when the meet in Malaya at a country club. Now his mate is the owner of a rubber plantation and he works in the administrative post with another company involved in the same type of business.

Helped by his friend, he will slowly but surely develop a wider perception of life, boosted by the fact that the customs of the locals allow him to relax his usual frame of mind. It is a novel of self discovery written at a time when such type of travel was not hype, so it feels very authentic.

Soundings is a collection of heartfelt poems and simple yet evocative black-and-white drawings by Cilla McQueen. The brief yet poignant free-verse lyrics evoke scenes of life, history, and the best and worst of human nature, focusing especially on conflicts engendered between colonists from the New World and Native American civilizations. Rakiura, 1823: At Poti Repo, Ebenezer Denton/died defending the stores--//the last thing he saw/was the patu//that struck like a shark/in the dreamy dark//where silent figures/cast and puffed//white flour about, bit soap/and spat it out,//scattered tobacco,/spurning the gunpowder,//throwing it down/on the ground, on the fire,//gyrating/through violent explosions.

The number of people thirsting to learn the primevel history of animal studies in New Zealand could not be large, but "The Southern Ark" will find its readers, nevertheless, because of the pictures.
J.R.H. Andrews' book, originally published in New Zealand in 1986 and now brought out by the University of Hawaii Press, is filled with glorious color pictures from the golden age of zoological illustration. By way of comparison, you could pay the same price for a poster (by one of Maui's high-priced animal painters) and not have anything half as good.
New Zealand is superficially like Hawaii -- a group of remote, temperate islands settled first by Polynesians. Neither had any land mammals, except bats, before humans arrived, but New Zealand had frogs, which Hawaii never did, and, maybe, a gecko two feet long.
Readers who turn to the text will learn that in the Marseille museum, in France, lie the bones of the world's largest gecko. Nobody knows how they got there or where they came from, and there are no bones like them anywhere, and nobody has ever seen the animal that once enclosed them.
The best guess is that the bones rightfully belonged to King Louis XVIII but were purloined from the cargo of an expedition that visited the French colony in New Zealand in the 1840s.
Andrews' text is too specialized to interest anyone who isn't committed to natural history, and even then it brings to mind the little girl who wrote a book report on a volume about penguins: "This book told me more about penguins than I wanted to know."
However, it is thought-provoking. What does a 2-foot-long gecko eat? Six-inch mosquitoes?

This book is a must read, must do for every woman. It is like a mentor that you will turn to when you are lost and confused. Lot of things you will yourself realise as you go thru life, but this book will consciously focus on them and help you to sort out things.

During the 1990's, Philip Holden wrote and published his best-selling 'Station Country' trilogy. In "Station Life", he travels through New Zealand visiting sheep and cattle stations (farms). Among the many stations he visits was Mataka, in the Bay of Islands. It was here, in 1814, that the Reverend Samuel Marsden was responsible for liberating cattle, horses and, significantly, Merino sheep. Philip Holden also links up with the colourful Molesworth stockmen as they muster cattle on the biggest station in New Zealand. Further south, he delves into the legend of the sheepstealer, James MacKenzie.

It's well written, interesting and well-illustrated profusely with a good collection of stunning colour photographs. Another fascinating insight into the New Zealand farming lifestyle of decades passed.

This is a very learned book on this wonderful French woman who came to New Zealand in the 19th Century. Working as a nun in several areas of New Zealand, she was fluent in written and spoken maori, and cared for all people regardless of race or creed. Highly recommended.