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Secrets of the Land
A mysterious stranger, a grandfather she did not know existed, and shadows from the past bring a former journalist to Taranaki in New Zealand. There are strange events in the small farming community and there are secrets from 1862 when the British army fought the Taranaki Māori, to 1975 when Imogen’s grandparents arrive, fleeing trouble in Ireland. Ghosts haunt the present, while the land still holds its secrets close. Yet some secrets won’t stay hidden forever.
" What seems to be a novel about generations of a family swiftly becomes much deeper and more intriguing. Kate Mahony deftly weaves past and present, reality and the supernatural into a richly textured story of the effect of colonisation and war on communities, families and individual identity. An engrossing, wonderful read ."
Catherine Robertson - Author of What You Wish For, Gabriel’s Bay, Spellbound, The Hiding Places and others
Secrets of the Land draws parallels between the domination of Ireland by the English in the 19th century and colonialism in Taranaki, New Zealand. The stories range from 1864 to 2018 through characters who fight over farming rights, past hurts and secrets, and those who try to make peace with the present. Kate Mahony is a skilled writer and blends well-researched historical facts with vibrant, believable fiction to create an engrossing novel."
Sandra Arnold , author of Soul Etchings , The Ash the Well and the Bluebell , The Bones of the Story
" What seems to be a novel about generations of a family swiftly becomes much deeper and more intriguing. Kate Mahony deftly weaves past and present, reality and the supernatural into a richly textured story of the effect of colonisation and war on communities, families and individual identity. An engrossing, wonderful read ."
Catherine Robertson - Author of What You Wish For, Gabriel’s Bay, Spellbound, The Hiding Places and others
Secrets of the Land draws parallels between the domination of Ireland by the English in the 19th century and colonialism in Taranaki, New Zealand. The stories range from 1864 to 2018 through characters who fight over farming rights, past hurts and secrets, and those who try to make peace with the present. Kate Mahony is a skilled writer and blends well-researched historical facts with vibrant, believable fiction to create an engrossing novel."
Sandra Arnold , author of Soul Etchings , The Ash the Well and the Bluebell , The Bones of the Story
270 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2023
16 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Kate Mahony
5 books7 followersKate Mahony lives in Aotearoa New Zealand. She has been writing for most of her life, in journalism and as a short story and flash fiction writer. Her short stories and flash fiction have been published widely, both in New Zealand and internationally. A number have been shortlisted and longlisted for international competitions, including the Bridport UK, and the Fish Short Story Competition (Ireland). For the latter, she was invited to read her short-listed story from the Fish Publishing anthology during a launch at the West Cork Literary Festival in Bantry, Cork.
She has an MA in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington. During the MA course she switched from writing short stories to a novel. Completed in just four months, the novel went on like many first novels to languish in a bottom drawer. However, the learning experience was useful for writing her new debut novel which took considerably longer than four months to write! The idea for the novel had been percolating for many years before she began writing it. The novel won a New Zealand Society of Authors manuscript assessment in 2021 and was completed following this.
Kate has also worked as an editor (including Woman magazine, UK), and feature writer and has taught writing workshops at Victoria University and the Community Education Centre in
Wellington.
She has dual New Zealand-Irish citizenship through her father who was born in Co Kerry, and has had a strong interest in her Irish family history. Her maternal side all also hail from Co Kerry. Her novel is set in both Ireland, which she has visited a number of times, and New Zealand.
She lives in Wellington.
She has an MA in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington. During the MA course she switched from writing short stories to a novel. Completed in just four months, the novel went on like many first novels to languish in a bottom drawer. However, the learning experience was useful for writing her new debut novel which took considerably longer than four months to write! The idea for the novel had been percolating for many years before she began writing it. The novel won a New Zealand Society of Authors manuscript assessment in 2021 and was completed following this.
Kate has also worked as an editor (including Woman magazine, UK), and feature writer and has taught writing workshops at Victoria University and the Community Education Centre in
Wellington.
She has dual New Zealand-Irish citizenship through her father who was born in Co Kerry, and has had a strong interest in her Irish family history. Her maternal side all also hail from Co Kerry. Her novel is set in both Ireland, which she has visited a number of times, and New Zealand.
She lives in Wellington.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
January 15, 2024
Secrets of the Land by Kate Mahony is a compelling read and a little different to what I normally read. The history throughout this novel is interesting as well as the places that are mentioned. New Zealand is a place I would like to visit one day. With a good cast of characters and a plot that held my interest, this was well worth reading. Recommended
January 16, 2024
A lovely IG friend shared a review of this book last month and on reading the review I saw it was based on the gorgeous place I call home. Straight away I recognised the author’s surname as the town I spent the first 11 years of my life in NZ had Mahonys and it turns out her nephew is married to a friend of mine, small world. Even smaller world was seeing my husbands cousin on her IG feed and realising that Danny’s cousin was also the authors cousin though Danny and the author are not related.
Of course I needed to pick up this book and I’m so glad that i did. It was such an easy read that gripped me from the start and kept me rapt until the last page.
I was not born in NZ but I’ve lived here 15 years and I’m very proud to call this place home, it really is the most amazing country and I could not imagine living anywhere else.
This book is a work of fiction but it is based loosely on events that occurred in the past. I won’t pretend to know all of the facts about what happened in this country in 1864 but I can tell you I learned so much from the short 250 pages in this book and I’m so grateful for the knowledge I now have.
This book had 3 time lines and was easy enough to follow as the book progressed. If you are interested in anyway about the history between Māori and pakeha then I absolutely recommend that you pick this book up.
Great interesting read.
Of course I needed to pick up this book and I’m so glad that i did. It was such an easy read that gripped me from the start and kept me rapt until the last page.
I was not born in NZ but I’ve lived here 15 years and I’m very proud to call this place home, it really is the most amazing country and I could not imagine living anywhere else.
This book is a work of fiction but it is based loosely on events that occurred in the past. I won’t pretend to know all of the facts about what happened in this country in 1864 but I can tell you I learned so much from the short 250 pages in this book and I’m so grateful for the knowledge I now have.
This book had 3 time lines and was easy enough to follow as the book progressed. If you are interested in anyway about the history between Māori and pakeha then I absolutely recommend that you pick this book up.
Great interesting read.
January 24, 2024
I loved this novel with its very carefully crafted and skilful movement between a complicated past and present, historical accuracy and fiction, cultural milieus, and various locations. It kept me engrossed from beginning to end, especially as my own forebears settled in Okato in 1841. Just who was the mysterious stranger? What the Irish term a 'thin place' where one can walk in two worlds, provides a charming sense of mystery and intrigue throughout. Kate Mahony is to be commended for the considerable historical research undertaken which underpins but never overwhelms the story. I highly recommend this book. It is very aptly titled.
January 14, 2024
He pukapuka ka rawe. I loved the way you've weaved different generations in, developed the characters, and respected mana whenua.
February 12, 2025
I liked the idea of this book but just wasn’t keen on the execution. Thankfully it wasn’t too long so I persevered even though i found the writing style a bit clunky.
I was only happy about its short length because I felt there wasn’t a great deal of depth to the characters and the main character wasn’t particularly endearing. Imogen’s chapters were written in the first person and I think that’s part of my issue with the writing - she just wasn’t believable as a younger woman. I felt I was reading the point of view of someone older than me, the writing of someone at least 60.
I was only happy about its short length because I felt there wasn’t a great deal of depth to the characters and the main character wasn’t particularly endearing. Imogen’s chapters were written in the first person and I think that’s part of my issue with the writing - she just wasn’t believable as a younger woman. I felt I was reading the point of view of someone older than me, the writing of someone at least 60.
November 5, 2023
Secrets of the Land evokes colonial conquest and family culture
Secrets of the Land is an ambitious novel that weaves together three timelines to explore the story of two families and the unsettled colonial history of New Zealand.
Set in 1862-64; 1977-78; and 2018 in Ireland, Australia and the New Zealand province of Taranaki, the plot is driven by Imogen Maguire, an Australian journalist who travels to New Zealand to meet the grandfather she had long believed dead.
What starts as a fairly standard setup of a naive woman encountering her curmudgeonly grandad evolves progressively into an imaginative investigation of British oppression in Ireland and New Zealand, colonial promises and betrayals; and the enduring consequences of long buried secrets.
Author Kate Mahony - who, true confession, is my second cousin - cleverly uses a ghost in the storyline, along with some supernatural Irish intuition, to integrate the three timelines.
When Imogen arrives at her grandad Jack’s farm near Okato, on the Taranaki coast south of New Plymouth, she discovers the fractious old man is experiencing a series of misfortunes, attributed to either a vendetta, or the forgetfulness of Jack’s advanced years.
The ghost, young Irishman Michael Flynn who fled Ireland because of an ill-fated romantic entanglement, is the third-person narrator in the 1860s storyline and a provocateur in the two later narratives.
This triple-decker storyline broadens the novel’s scope by adding another Irish clan, the Murphys, as well as various members of the Pakeha and Māori communities of the north west side of Taranaki Maunga.
Although the mountain is only incidentally mentioned, the intense weather it creates plays a quite cinematic role in the story, particularly during its climax.
Kate Mahony also creates compelling and emotional evocation of the clash between the hopeful colonials and the Māori warriors protecting their whenua (land) against British encroachment.
She pulls off this ambitious tour de force by using two characters to drive the story: the vivacious freneticism of Imogen and the smouldering romanticism of Michael (the ghost).
While Secrets of the Land describes the Māori experience of colonial incursion during the 1860s, and its modern day consequences, it is modestly appropriate in how it addresses this issue.
Secrets of the Land is an easy and enjoyable read that explores complex issues of history, society and family in a rich and satisfying tale.
Secrets of the Land is an ambitious novel that weaves together three timelines to explore the story of two families and the unsettled colonial history of New Zealand.
Set in 1862-64; 1977-78; and 2018 in Ireland, Australia and the New Zealand province of Taranaki, the plot is driven by Imogen Maguire, an Australian journalist who travels to New Zealand to meet the grandfather she had long believed dead.
What starts as a fairly standard setup of a naive woman encountering her curmudgeonly grandad evolves progressively into an imaginative investigation of British oppression in Ireland and New Zealand, colonial promises and betrayals; and the enduring consequences of long buried secrets.
Author Kate Mahony - who, true confession, is my second cousin - cleverly uses a ghost in the storyline, along with some supernatural Irish intuition, to integrate the three timelines.
When Imogen arrives at her grandad Jack’s farm near Okato, on the Taranaki coast south of New Plymouth, she discovers the fractious old man is experiencing a series of misfortunes, attributed to either a vendetta, or the forgetfulness of Jack’s advanced years.
The ghost, young Irishman Michael Flynn who fled Ireland because of an ill-fated romantic entanglement, is the third-person narrator in the 1860s storyline and a provocateur in the two later narratives.
This triple-decker storyline broadens the novel’s scope by adding another Irish clan, the Murphys, as well as various members of the Pakeha and Māori communities of the north west side of Taranaki Maunga.
Although the mountain is only incidentally mentioned, the intense weather it creates plays a quite cinematic role in the story, particularly during its climax.
Kate Mahony also creates compelling and emotional evocation of the clash between the hopeful colonials and the Māori warriors protecting their whenua (land) against British encroachment.
She pulls off this ambitious tour de force by using two characters to drive the story: the vivacious freneticism of Imogen and the smouldering romanticism of Michael (the ghost).
While Secrets of the Land describes the Māori experience of colonial incursion during the 1860s, and its modern day consequences, it is modestly appropriate in how it addresses this issue.
Secrets of the Land is an easy and enjoyable read that explores complex issues of history, society and family in a rich and satisfying tale.
November 28, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and to me it was amazing - I am a sixth generation New Zealander and have been doing a lot of family history work recently. This book brought the world of my nineteenth century Taranaki family (original Cornish settlers with the later addition of an imperial soldier) vividly to life. It also helped that I too was starting out in life in New Zealand and Australia in the 1970's, and my two daughters were into their careers in 2018. So it all seemed so familiar and real. I love how Kate captures the vernacular and 'the times' in all three periods and places, so that each of the characters fits comfortably and appropriately into their respective worlds. The strange and alien (to us) world of Victorian England and Ireland is viscerally uncomfortable, as it should be. After all, that's why so many of our ancestors ended up here! The common experience of the downtrodden Irish and the soon to be conquered local Māori is well described, and equally uncomfortable. Some may find the 'magical realism' element quite odd, especially to Anglo-Saxon eyes, but for Irish eyes it seems recognisable - I am not myself Irish, but through my wife I am an Irish citizen, and the fey Celtic dimension interleaving with Te Ao Māori seemed to me to fit right in. And, of course, the book is also a tale of modern relationships, and the complications and dysfunctions that seem to be everywhere present, and the hope that resolutions and reconciliations might be possible, perhaps.
December 11, 2023
I've always been a fan of Kate Mahony's short stories and flash fiction. This is her first novel. She has a very assured accomplished voice as an author. I powered through 'Secrets of the Land - it has a page-turning impetus and terrific tone. The novel explores our Colonial history, the Maori Land Wars and Pakeha (think Irish) settlers.
The novel moves back and forth in history, opening with Imogen who becomes a detective in her family history, moving from Australia to New Zealand to track down her grandfather (on the whim of fleeting and mysterious encounter with a stranger - this mysterious supernatural Irish theme underlies much of the plot.)
There are voices from the past and the present and Taranaki itself is a character, with a fictitious farming community, neighbourhood disputes, and secrets. Mahony has managed both an interesting and empathetic retelling of Colonial history with a modern day Gaelic style mystery that Imogen is determined to uncover.
I particularly liked the sleuth-like character of Imogen. History has been carefully researched to evoke the brutality of the settler invasions into Maori Pa, through the eyes of a most reluctant soldier Michael. Michael an Irishman is a victim of British Colonial Oppression and it is the linking of these themes that resonated and reminded me of 'The Seasonwife' by Saige England. Michael and Imogen are inextricably linked through the ages.
An excellent debut novel.
The novel moves back and forth in history, opening with Imogen who becomes a detective in her family history, moving from Australia to New Zealand to track down her grandfather (on the whim of fleeting and mysterious encounter with a stranger - this mysterious supernatural Irish theme underlies much of the plot.)
There are voices from the past and the present and Taranaki itself is a character, with a fictitious farming community, neighbourhood disputes, and secrets. Mahony has managed both an interesting and empathetic retelling of Colonial history with a modern day Gaelic style mystery that Imogen is determined to uncover.
I particularly liked the sleuth-like character of Imogen. History has been carefully researched to evoke the brutality of the settler invasions into Maori Pa, through the eyes of a most reluctant soldier Michael. Michael an Irishman is a victim of British Colonial Oppression and it is the linking of these themes that resonated and reminded me of 'The Seasonwife' by Saige England. Michael and Imogen are inextricably linked through the ages.
An excellent debut novel.
June 20, 2024
I was captivated by the opening “chapter” entitled “Imogen Melbourne 2018” and the account of Imogen’s encounter with Michael Flynn. Imogen’s journey to Taranaki and her meeting with her grandfather Jack was eventful and intriguing. The movements from Imogen 2018 to Michael 1864 and Aoife (pronounced Ee-fun) 1976 was an unusual way of keeping us in the bigger picture, that expanded from Ireland to Australia and to Aotearoa, and the historical connections between what was happening in Ireland and in Aotearoa. Then there’s that key conversation between Michael and Denis where Michael says, “It’s the same as back home, no different at all. Can ye not see that?” Meanwhile, I like the way Kate describes or creates characters, like those in the pub. She says much with few words and I find myself chuckling over some small quirk, like someone looking bewildered. Kate has a gift with words, like describing how the wind “roiled”. In the end, as one who is from Aotearoa, who spent most of his life in Fiji, and who was fortunate to spend three years studying in Ireland, as one who has explored his own whakapapa and who has, later in life, comes to grips with the brutal colonising history of Aotearoa, the journey through this book was an emotional one. It was certainly worth the time and the read. And the ghostly presence of Michael and the Maori elders saying the karakia - prayers - over the burial grounds were those people and events that provided just the right atmosphere.
October 2, 2023
I loved the book. I couldn't decide between racing through it as it was so gripping, or to take it slowly and relish the story and the language. In the end I am doing both! The use of different times and places was managed successfully. The blending of fact and fiction worked really well. The attention to detail, like the Taranaki gates, the country pubs and the endless rain were so evocative. I made me remember my childhood in Taranaki. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this talented author.
October 9, 2023
I have just finished Secrets of the Land by Kate Mahony. It's easy to read and moves along at a fast pace. I particularly liked the historical aspects of the novel,especially the Irish historical background. As a fifth generation NewZealander with pure Irish heritage I found these references via Michael the Irishman in Colonial NZ very moving. A balanced tale that captures both NZ, and Irish conflicts sympathetically. The parallels between Maori and Irish spirituality are also portrayed well in the secrets that eventually are unearthed.
November 20, 2023
Secrets of the Land is the story of three people, Michael, Imogen and Aoife, connected through family and land - the land of secrets in the title. This is an engaging, uplifting and very readable book, with determined, likeable characters and a strong purpose of setting and history. I particularly enjoyed Michael’s historical narrative and how despite his raw hand in life, he is still eager to help others. I also enjoyed the book’s scenes of contemporary rural life in Taranaki, all of which felt very authentic.
August 2, 2024
What a book! Secrets of the Land shares the perspective of three characters: Michael, Imogen and Aoife. I really enjoyed Imogen a lot and all the struggles she runs into. The author did such an amazing job introducing me to a part of history I really didn't know much about. I can tell she put so much care into capturing that appropriately. I love the supernatural elements of the story, and that really captivated me. There is so much to love about this novel. Even though she switches perspectives, that never threw me off, she did it very well. I absolutely recommend this one!
October 21, 2025
A bit clunky and Jack's 180 a bit twee, but what i really didn't get was why Imogen thought Molly and Daniel might have claim to the land. Surely the sale and purchase agreement, not made under duress, was enough. Like inheritance to an unrecognised child should not over ride a legitimate sale.
I enjoyed for the most part but the ending was rushed and a bit weird.
Also, the whole Barker storyline was pointless, I guess a red herring, but nothing was acknowledged about the baddies doing all the stuff to send Jack Crazy, why did they find the perfect site on the night of the storm?
I enjoyed for the most part but the ending was rushed and a bit weird.
Also, the whole Barker storyline was pointless, I guess a red herring, but nothing was acknowledged about the baddies doing all the stuff to send Jack Crazy, why did they find the perfect site on the night of the storm?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2024
I was recommended this book .I requested it from the library. I gobbled it up in little more than a day. I was entranced by the time swings and the way different periods were knitted together. I live in the area in which the work is set and have some awareness of the historic conflicts arising from the colonisation of Aotearoa/New Zealand. I appreciate the candour with which the actions of the British troops was portrayed. Thank you Kate Mahoney.
June 10, 2024
Finally finished this book that's been on my shelf since last December. II got emptional..I cried over Champion, I was a bit creeped out over the paranormal events in the book. Angry and annoyed at how the people treated 'outsiders just because they were different. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The story touches on family, loss, country life, and human cruelty. The fictional characters are inspired by the author's family, with some events based on real-life. A truly impressive and heartfelt read!
June 13, 2024
An enjoyable read - hard to put down. I grew up in Taranaki and it is an interesting book to read knowing the setting of the book well. It was tricky getting my head around a new fictional township made up for the story. I understand the rational but it did make it harder to picture the distances and locations.
I enjoyed read the stories from each time, bringing in both Irish folklore and Māori tikanga. I well considered book. Thank you for writing it.
I enjoyed read the stories from each time, bringing in both Irish folklore and Māori tikanga. I well considered book. Thank you for writing it.
October 31, 2024
I very much enjoyed this book, set in a recognisably muddy Taranaki. It took me a while - actually not very long - to get used to the change in point of view from one character to another, but I soon warmed to that. I'm one who doesn't really get the supernatural aspects but I suspended my disbelief and carried on happily. The ending is full of tension and at that point I couldn't put the book down. Looking forward to Kate Mahony's next novel. Her short stories are also very good.
February 18, 2025
A young woman is drawn to a grandfather she's never met and uncovers a number of secrets from the past. I liked this book but think it lacked something plot-wise. For example, it wasn't clear how all the different threads fitted together (or were even relevant) when I reached the end and I was left with some serious hmmms. Things that seemed important were skimmed over and other, less important, things were discussed in detail. 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 5, 2025
Very well-researched mystery about historical Taranaki. Family secrets and lies abound, and we are left hoping that modern heroine Imogen, brought back from Sydney to rural Taranaki finds out about her past. The action sequences at the end are a bit sudden, but I enjoyed the cast of characters. A slipstream novel, that works in different time periods, the sections dealing with the New Zealand wars and the Irish conscripted to fight in them, were particularly vivid and moving.
October 24, 2023
this is an intriguing book for its account of a several disparate communities linked across time and space by family connections and the drive to know more about ourselves. it’s written in Kate’s easy style as she reveals more about her grandfather and his passion for the land. havi no just finished it, i want to read it again for its entertainment value. highly recommended.
February 9, 2024
A well written novel with a clever structure that moves us seamlessly through time from characters in 1864, 1976 and 2018.
Set mainly in Taranaki, I enjoyed the use of the historical elements which linked us to episodes from the New Zealand Wars, as well as elements from the local landscape.
A pleasing generational family saga.
Set mainly in Taranaki, I enjoyed the use of the historical elements which linked us to episodes from the New Zealand Wars, as well as elements from the local landscape.
A pleasing generational family saga.
September 29, 2023
Couldn't put this gripping tale down. I loved the settings, both New Zealand and Ireland. It's so easy to read. I stayed up late wanting to know how it all worked out. The character of the young Irish soldier Michael drew me in. This book is a must read!
October 7, 2023
This is skilful storytelling that will resonate with many New Zealanders, especially those with Irish forebears. The experiences of those who came here and the effect on tangata whenua is brought home to the reader, and in quite a subtle way. Easy to read.
October 10, 2023
This book by Kate Mahony was easy to read, you wanted to know what came next! Great descriptions of the early Taranaki Land Wars, which made it become real. I look forward to Kate's next novel!
I highly recommend you read 'Secrets of the Land', it was a fantastic birthday gift!
I highly recommend you read 'Secrets of the Land', it was a fantastic birthday gift!
October 18, 2023
I stayed up late to finish Secrets of the Land, and I was not disappointed. It was such a good read and well worth being tired for the next day. It definitely needs to be made into a movie. Brilliantly written.
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December 15, 2023A cracking good story, eminently believable protagonists and plotlines make this an excellent book.
The authors perceptive insights enable her to draw relatable characters that feel real.
I can't wait to read more of this author's work.
The authors perceptive insights enable her to draw relatable characters that feel real.
I can't wait to read more of this author's work.
May 10, 2024
Loved the book, especially the connected stories between Ireland and Taranaki (New Zealand). The common history with loss of land for both Irish and Māori came through strongly. A really enjoyable read.
August 24, 2024
I really enjoyed reading it and felt that it gave me a different perspective on the New Zealand Wars - one that I hadn't thought about before. It's a surprisingly easy read given that it interweaves several storylines and it comes to a satisfying conclusion. A good read.
April 20, 2025
Surreal to read about fictional characters existing around an event I attended not so long ago (Parihaka apology) let alone the region I'm from. Interesting reading from a modern settler's descendant's point of view.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews