Welcome to Litsy!

This was my pick for #NewZealand #FoodAndLit

It was an interesting look at a Māori tribe trying to keep their ancestral land when developers are trying to convince them to leave. Things get out of hand when the developers realise they can‘t be bought. I don‘t know much about the culture so it was a nice insight into some of the customs.

#readaroundtheworld #newzealand A people of the land and sea narrate stories about their place in this world as if sharing around a fire. Thru the repetition and overlap of multiple voices we learn a dark and sad tale of fighting against the development of their land, and the struggle not to lose their young to anger and fear. I enjoyed being with these characters. As Grace writes from within her Maori culture, I was only a brief visitor.

This book...😭. It is a simple yet poetic telling of a Maori community that must stay strong in knowing who they are as a people as someone only known as Dollarman threatens their existence wanting to buy their land for development. Published in 1986 it feels very relevant as many cultures are being displaced and their histories erased. Thank you @Centique for this book. Easily a favorite of the year.

From a Maori man named Hemi thinking of his past and present.

I could finish this tonight but I think it would be better if I don‘t. This book is so tender and beautiful so far.

This is a 1986 NZ classic that I had put off reading and kick myself for not getting to sooner. There‘s a lot of learning in here for me - I spent a lot of time looking things up. Many elements of tikanga (Maori cultural practices) which I knew of roughly, were here given in context and with depth so I could understand why and how they all tied together. This is a powerful story of a small community up against unscrupulous developers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The gift has not been taken away because gifts are legacies that once given cannot be taken away. They may pass from hand to hand, but once held they are always yours.

After a long time someone said that the house had gone but that we still had people, and we had the ground. “And you build from people and you build from the ground.” But the words did not give comfort. No one else spoke.
Instead we began to sing, which is a way of saving your soul, or the centre of you.

A fabulous, moving novel about a group of Maori people & what happens when developers want access to their land. Deceptively simple writing style, finely crafted & told in multiple viewpoints. I was aided in my understanding by having previous exposure to elements of Maori culture & language. There were also word translations handwritten in the copy I read. The characters, setting & story remain vivid in my mind. ❤️ #Indigenous #NZauthor

We had become tellers, listeners, readers, writers, enactors and collectors of stories. And games are stories too, not just swallowers of time, or buds without fruit.

I‘m reading a deceased friend‘s copy of this #Indigenous #NZauthor classic. She taught this text in high school English classes. I feel like she‘s at my shoulder with her helpful marginalia: Maori words and customs are explained. I also get a heads up that chapter 5 is “really important” and “explains the characters.” 😁