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Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa
This Book explores a world where mythological characters and stories become part of everyday life. Old and new worlds co-exist, cultures mingle and magic happens.
113 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
3 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Tina Makereti
11 books93 followersWhere the Rēkohu Bone Sings is Tina Makereti’s first novel. Her short story collection, Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa (Huia Publishers 2010), won the Ngā Kupu Ora Māori Book Awards Fiction Prize 2011. In 2009 she was the recipient of the Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing (non-fiction), and in the same year received the Pikihuia Award for Best Short Story written in English. In October 2012, Makereti was Writer in Residence at the Weltkulturen Museum in Frankfurt, and in 2014 she is the Creative New Zealand Randell Cottage Writer in Residence. Makereti has a PhD Creative Writing from Victoria University, and teaches creative writing and English at Massey and Victoria Universities. She is of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Pākehā and, in all probability, Moriori descent. She now lives on the Kāpiti Coast with her partner, two daughters and unruly dog.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 14, 2017
Oh, I really liked this book. It was very hard for me to get, but I had wanted to read it so badly. I loved the stories, although some are simple, stories that you could find in any part of the world. But there are others that feel very... local. You can practically breathe New Zealand through them, and I think those were the ones I enjoyed the most, although they were the ones which had more Maori in them, and thus harder to read.
The first story was just completely and utterly amazing, the one with the old lady and the lost child was so beautiful. The young high school girl that got pregnant nearly made me cry at the end. The boy that had the la gauge skill impressed me at the end. I could keep going, each story had something I loved.
And the way it's constructed, for me it was a perfect cycle. Beginning with a story about life, and ending with a story about death, with many ups and downs of life in between.
I really enjoyed it. Highly recommendable.
The first story was just completely and utterly amazing, the one with the old lady and the lost child was so beautiful. The young high school girl that got pregnant nearly made me cry at the end. The boy that had the la gauge skill impressed me at the end. I could keep going, each story had something I loved.
And the way it's constructed, for me it was a perfect cycle. Beginning with a story about life, and ending with a story about death, with many ups and downs of life in between.
I really enjoyed it. Highly recommendable.
January 17, 2021
Great collection of short stories. one bit was so incredibly relatable, it’s really stayed with me. Reading work by someone in your own experience.
February 16, 2017
A wonderful collection of short stories revolving around Aotearoa and the Maori who live there. The stories are short, but so full of life, you actually wish that this collection was double its size.
"skin and bones" is a great beginning, which discusses Tane and his early struggles to find a companion to spend his days with. For some time he searches for a "creation to be like him, his mirror, his equal" (5). At first it seems like he'll never find the comfort he seeks but eventually he makes Hine to be his equal, his partner, and the rest is history. It is a retelling that is worth investing several readings in, each time finding something new.
"kaitaiki" is a fun story about an elder woman that steals a child--well--maybe not "steals" depending on how you wish to view the story. A boy is left alone, unsupervised, and eventually a kind woman takes him in and takes care of him (which his parents are clearly not doing). I love it when strong females take on the role of community mother because they do such a great job of it. Whether or not the boy stays with the woman is something you must read for yourself.
"blink" is a story about a woman named Rosie. Rosie ends up meeting a guy who seems like a good catch, and she is definitely interested in him when the story begins. However, like a lot of women tend to do, Rosie begins looking for some flaws in her new relationship. In particular she becomes convinced that her new beau has alien eyes and may actually be an alien. As most of us ladies can verify, we probably would not want to become part of an alien experiment. So Rosie has to decide what to do and how to find out the truth about her new boyfriend.
"what men do" can be summarized by the following quote: "... he felt it himself: the hope, with that first fresh drink, that the weight of disappointment could be spirited away in the first few fortifying gulps" (62).
"the god-child" deals with pregnancy, birthing, and motherhood. It is quite interesting to have multiple perspectives on woman's experiences with these issues. Here, we are told all women that give birth are "goddesses" and so keep a look out for this section if you're interested in gender or women's studies.
"top knot" further discusses some of the negative aspects of pregnancy, birthing, and mothering. Unfortunately, "off beat" gets kind of lost in the middle of the collection.
"shapeshifter" is told from the perspective of a bronze statue of Pania. If you are not sure who Pania is, make sure to look up some background information about Pania and her relationship with Karitoki. The bronzed statue is also real, so you can see some great photos of it on google. I absolutely love this story because Pania is trying to find a way to disassociate herself from Karitoki--such a fun (and sometimes saddening perhaps) read).
"ahi" is a story about the lengths women, especially grandmothers, will go to in order to protect their children and the traditional Maori ways that are being lost.
"Tree, the rabbit and the moon" is about a woman that loses her sister and her lover in the course of one short story. Her sister is physically lost for some time, then becomes emotionally lost. During the process, the protagonist's boyfriend also becomes lost and must go to find himself.
"the order of things" is about a woman that has trouble finding men that are good for her --until her son is both. But at some point, she decides that she might want to give a man named Paul a chance to date her and enter her life. After all, Paul is not what she would expect at all.
"mokomoko" is about twin sisters with a dark secret--but I shall give away no secrets here!
"in the end" closes the collection with another story about Hine. This story is a little bit darker than one might expect, but is quite fascinating and really does provide some closure to the collection.
Overall, I highly recommend this collection to readers!
"skin and bones" is a great beginning, which discusses Tane and his early struggles to find a companion to spend his days with. For some time he searches for a "creation to be like him, his mirror, his equal" (5). At first it seems like he'll never find the comfort he seeks but eventually he makes Hine to be his equal, his partner, and the rest is history. It is a retelling that is worth investing several readings in, each time finding something new.
"kaitaiki" is a fun story about an elder woman that steals a child--well--maybe not "steals" depending on how you wish to view the story. A boy is left alone, unsupervised, and eventually a kind woman takes him in and takes care of him (which his parents are clearly not doing). I love it when strong females take on the role of community mother because they do such a great job of it. Whether or not the boy stays with the woman is something you must read for yourself.
"blink" is a story about a woman named Rosie. Rosie ends up meeting a guy who seems like a good catch, and she is definitely interested in him when the story begins. However, like a lot of women tend to do, Rosie begins looking for some flaws in her new relationship. In particular she becomes convinced that her new beau has alien eyes and may actually be an alien. As most of us ladies can verify, we probably would not want to become part of an alien experiment. So Rosie has to decide what to do and how to find out the truth about her new boyfriend.
"what men do" can be summarized by the following quote: "... he felt it himself: the hope, with that first fresh drink, that the weight of disappointment could be spirited away in the first few fortifying gulps" (62).
"the god-child" deals with pregnancy, birthing, and motherhood. It is quite interesting to have multiple perspectives on woman's experiences with these issues. Here, we are told all women that give birth are "goddesses" and so keep a look out for this section if you're interested in gender or women's studies.
"top knot" further discusses some of the negative aspects of pregnancy, birthing, and mothering. Unfortunately, "off beat" gets kind of lost in the middle of the collection.
"shapeshifter" is told from the perspective of a bronze statue of Pania. If you are not sure who Pania is, make sure to look up some background information about Pania and her relationship with Karitoki. The bronzed statue is also real, so you can see some great photos of it on google. I absolutely love this story because Pania is trying to find a way to disassociate herself from Karitoki--such a fun (and sometimes saddening perhaps) read).
"ahi" is a story about the lengths women, especially grandmothers, will go to in order to protect their children and the traditional Maori ways that are being lost.
"Tree, the rabbit and the moon" is about a woman that loses her sister and her lover in the course of one short story. Her sister is physically lost for some time, then becomes emotionally lost. During the process, the protagonist's boyfriend also becomes lost and must go to find himself.
"the order of things" is about a woman that has trouble finding men that are good for her --until her son is both. But at some point, she decides that she might want to give a man named Paul a chance to date her and enter her life. After all, Paul is not what she would expect at all.
"mokomoko" is about twin sisters with a dark secret--but I shall give away no secrets here!
"in the end" closes the collection with another story about Hine. This story is a little bit darker than one might expect, but is quite fascinating and really does provide some closure to the collection.
Overall, I highly recommend this collection to readers!
July 16, 2016
It was serendipity that I even found this. N.K. Jemisin posted a link on FB 2 days okay that listed 10 women currently writing speculative fiction and Tina Makereti (one of 2 Kiwi authors, Karen Healey - I love her books, esp. "Guardian of the Dead" - was the other) was one of them. This is an anthology and is comparatively short. Some stories are fantastic (in both meanings of the word) and a couple are mundane. The first "skin and bones"is a re-telling of one of the Tane stories; the thing with Maori myth/legend is that it is very earthy. Tane has an erection and uses the warm earth to satisfy his urges; eventually he creates the first woman Hine - I loved this one. Another story, "shapeshifter", is that of Pania, whose statue is located in Napier's harbor. A third fun story, "the god-child", is that of a precocious baby, Eli. Many of the stories focus on birth/pregnancy, others, death. The penultimate story, "mokomoko" picks up the Hine legend when she becomes the guardian of the dead and must defeat Maui to keep death safe for the living. Anyway, this was a totally accidental read, it was lovely, I'm glad I found it, and I highly recommend it. It also satisfies one of the categories of my Reading Challenge "read an anthology by one person" (Read Harder 2015). And isn't the cover beautiful?
December 17, 2018
Guadalupe Reinas 2018 - Libro de un país que quieras visitar (Nueva Zelanda)
Para esta consigna quise buscar obras cortas de autoras maorí - que hay muchas - la dificultad es el acceso a ellas incluso en internet.
Terminé escogiendo este libro por casualidad, más que nada porque de todos los que me interesaron fue el único que encontré en línea. Me llamó la atención que el título se refiere al país con el nombre designado por su población indígena (Aotearoa, la nube blanca y larga).
La premisa del libro es de cuentos modernos inspirados en los mitos de creación y personajes de tradición maorí, cosa que suena interesante, pero resultó ser algo aburrida. Sólo me atraparon un par de cuentos y hasta cierto punto los personajes dejaron de resaltar y se volvieron indistinguibles. Cerca de terminar el libro me empecé a distraer mucho y al final me vi muy contenta de haber terminado por fin.
Para esta consigna quise buscar obras cortas de autoras maorí - que hay muchas - la dificultad es el acceso a ellas incluso en internet.
Terminé escogiendo este libro por casualidad, más que nada porque de todos los que me interesaron fue el único que encontré en línea. Me llamó la atención que el título se refiere al país con el nombre designado por su población indígena (Aotearoa, la nube blanca y larga).
La premisa del libro es de cuentos modernos inspirados en los mitos de creación y personajes de tradición maorí, cosa que suena interesante, pero resultó ser algo aburrida. Sólo me atraparon un par de cuentos y hasta cierto punto los personajes dejaron de resaltar y se volvieron indistinguibles. Cerca de terminar el libro me empecé a distraer mucho y al final me vi muy contenta de haber terminado por fin.
July 28, 2017
A lovely collection of short stories with one thing in common New Zeland, some just happened to be there and could have gone the same way no matter where and some others had clear and deep cultural heritage; It does have a very feminine point of view and I felt the double culture involved in those stories. I loved a few of them liked some others and got stuck for a long time with a few others. I would have greatly appreciated a dictionary, some foot notes or a glossary included in this book, has it is heavy imbued with Maori vocabulary.
September 29, 2018
Wonderful stories invoking legend and weaving it up through to the present. The most contemporary stories really ground the others into a modern complexity of identity. Very promising author. And personally just nice to hear Maori in everyday speech again.
February 10, 2019
A beautiful collection of short stories, blending Pacific Māori myth with contemporary issues and a modern world. Highly recommended for those who are interested in New Zealand fiction closer to home.
May 9, 2018
DNF. Didn't enjoy the style.
December 14, 2012
Loved it.
This collection of short stories explore the presence of Maori mythology- and Maori mythological characters- in more real, everyday New Zealand life. It was very nicely put together overall, beginning with 'skin and bones' and ending with 'in the end.' I enjoyed each of the individual stories and thought the writer balanced the everyday with the mythical fairly well. It was written in a very personal, down-to-earth way.
It was hard to pick my favourite stories from the collection - I particularly liked 'kaitaki,' 'blink,' 'off-beat,' 'ahi' and 'the order of things.' (By the way, these story titles are deliberately not capitalized in order to match the way they are set out in the book.)
My only wish is that they included the meanings of some of the Maori words for a more English-focused reader like me, or perhaps some note on the further reading for the Maori myths the stories referred to so I could better appreciate what were the 'passed-down stories/legends' and what were the writer's own reimaginings into our reality. But that's not a criticism, only wistfulness of my own lack of knowledge. I think people who are very familiar with the Maori myths would be able to pick up even more of the subtle references and appreciate this collection more.
Loved it, and enjoyed based on what I DID understand/relate to :)
This collection of short stories explore the presence of Maori mythology- and Maori mythological characters- in more real, everyday New Zealand life. It was very nicely put together overall, beginning with 'skin and bones' and ending with 'in the end.' I enjoyed each of the individual stories and thought the writer balanced the everyday with the mythical fairly well. It was written in a very personal, down-to-earth way.
It was hard to pick my favourite stories from the collection - I particularly liked 'kaitaki,' 'blink,' 'off-beat,' 'ahi' and 'the order of things.' (By the way, these story titles are deliberately not capitalized in order to match the way they are set out in the book.)
My only wish is that they included the meanings of some of the Maori words for a more English-focused reader like me, or perhaps some note on the further reading for the Maori myths the stories referred to so I could better appreciate what were the 'passed-down stories/legends' and what were the writer's own reimaginings into our reality. But that's not a criticism, only wistfulness of my own lack of knowledge. I think people who are very familiar with the Maori myths would be able to pick up even more of the subtle references and appreciate this collection more.
Loved it, and enjoyed based on what I DID understand/relate to :)
November 16, 2012
"Once Upon A Time In Aotearoa" is an amazing collection of short-fiction pieces. One thing that I found to be most impressive was her use of Maori/Pacific myths and legends within her stories. She puts her own spin on each story whether she keeps it traditional like "Skin and Bones" or provides a more contemporary spin like she did with "Topknot". Either way, I absolutely loved her stories, no matter how bizarre and cliff-hanging it was. In addition to her insight into myths of the Pacifc, she also included ideas of family values, day to day struggles, and conflicts within that not only people of the Pacific could relate to, but people of all areas of the world. This collection is definitely a must-read and I would reccomend it to anyone, whether you're just looking for a great book, or a person of Pacific descent who'd like to read easily relateable and stories with connections to your culture. I will definitely be reading this book again!
November 16, 2012
Once Upon a time in Aotearoa is a great book that offers short fictional stories focusing on Maori mythology, identity and cultural traditions. By way of creative literature and humor as a tool, Makereti offered an interesting take between what it would be like if Maori Gods interacted with us mere mortals. She focused on the realities of being human and the struggles we face within are family dynamics and romantic relations. The book has a contemporary setting that makes it easier for the younger generations to follow. Yet i have to throw a bit of caution, the audience for this book if for mature readers who can dig deep inside and understand the underlying message within each story. There is a bit of sexual content, but that only adds to the comedic form of the myths being represented. If you are looking for something fun to read, don't hesitate to pick up this book! Not only will you have fits of laughter, but you will also get an insight on Maori history and culture!!
April 7, 2023
read
March 30, 2017
This is a fantastic collection, in both senses of the word. It's mostly focused, I think, on boundaries - what it's like to live in the spaces between stories, between histories. It's got a distinctly New Zealand flavour, which is always something I enjoy, mixing mythology and modern life in stories that are sharp and frequently surprising.
I think my favourite was "shapeshifter", the Pania of the Reef story. I also really enjoyed the blackly humorous "blink", in which a young woman either spends time with an alien or alienates herself from another person - or both. I prefer to think of it as both. It's funnier (and sadder) that way.
I think my favourite was "shapeshifter", the Pania of the Reef story. I also really enjoyed the blackly humorous "blink", in which a young woman either spends time with an alien or alienates herself from another person - or both. I prefer to think of it as both. It's funnier (and sadder) that way.
May 2, 2017
An excellent book of short stories with a New Zealand Maori theme running throughout. Descriptive, funny at times, full of soul.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews