Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment

by Monty Soutar

It’s 1818 on the East Coast of Te Ika-a-Māui, Aotearoa. Hine-aute, granddaughter of the legendary warrior Kaitanga, is fleeing through the bush; a precious yet gruesome memento contained in her fishing net. What follows is the gripping tale of a people on the cusp of profound change that is destined to reverberate through many generations to come.

The Europeans have arrived, and they’ve brought muskets and foreign diseases, ushering in a whole new world of terror and trouble. They’ve also brought a new faith, which will cause Māori to question everything they had believed to be true. Hine and her sons, Ipumare and Uha, are caught in the crossfire of change that is creating fractures in their close familial bonds and undermining everything they hold dear.

From raids by musket-wielding war parties to heightened internecine warfare; from the influx of whalers, traders and Christian missionaries to the signing of The Treaty of Waitangi, Kā Tree of Nourishment strikes hard and deep into the heart of the impact of colonisation on Māori, and is guaranteed to leave readers stunned.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

412 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 24, 2024

Reviews

[Shilo Kino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I loved the character Hine and I love how she challenged everything and everyone- from her husband to the tohunga. I felt a lot of her rage and grief.

The te reo Māori through out the book is poetic and beautiful. It was also chilling to read about the muskets, it felt like I was there.

I don’t think many people realise how lucky we are to have access to this kind of mātauranga, a portal to a world we are all yearning to know and understand. Reading Soutar’s work feels very much like a privilege.

[Susan Wilson]

Perhaps my personal hype after loving the first in the trilogy was my undoing because I found it clunky from the meta approach of story within a story (which worked so well for me in the first) to the jumping through the years. I wanted to connect to Hine and her sons and her men but I just couldn’t get there. I still have high hopes for the third.

[Becki Grannan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the subject matter and feel like I’m learning a lot about Maori history. However the author is a historian first and a novelist second and I think this shows a lot more in the 2nd book than the 1st. At times I felt like we were just rattling through events in time and I was getting a bit confused as to who was fighting who now etc despite the lists in the front. Overall still enjoyed, would recommend, and will read the third!

[James Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many histories of Aotearoa New Zealand, but this historical novel (and its predecessor) bring our story to life in a way that no book about history ever could.

This is a must read for people who live in Aotearoa New Zealand who are wondering how we can move forward as a country while wrestling with the impacts of colonisation and the covenant of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

It gave me fresh eyes to engage with a story that I thought I knew well.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book club pick - It’s great to read some historical fiction in pre European NZ and I learnt a lot reading this. That being said, I found the story hard to follow due to the sheer number of names and places mentioned. I found the first 100 pages a slog but once I got past that, it sped by.

[Hinepounamu Apanui-Barr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slow, at times hard, read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book of the series and was excited to read this one. While it seemed there was an intention to portray the story through the lens of Hine, a female protagonist, it ended up becoming very male dominated through Ipu while she was demoted to the role of merely being his mother. I was disappointed in this as well as a (IMO) skewed angle on the missionary agenda- the writers bias was clear here and thought that a deeper story could have been told about Hine and her attempt to hold on to the old ways. I maintain the belief that it fills a gap in the Aotearoa fiction landscape so was still happy I read it but disappointing compared to the first of the Kāwai series.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Soutar achieves his goal at looking at Māori life at the time of the Musket Wars and the arrival of Christian missionaries in Aotearoa New Zealand. While interesting it felt at times this goal got in the way of telling a good story with a compelling narrative. I would have liked to have got to know Hine more than just the woman who wants to hang on to the old traditions.

[Robbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read. Really interesting insights on what could have been going on for the Māori when Christianity arrived in New Zealand.

[jimmy ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is the maori historical fiction I've been craving, not quite as good as the first (some weird time skips & narrative structure) but still recommend. Hype for the next one!

[Deina Susilo-Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a sucker for Aotearoa historical fiction and this one was a banger. I love the way Soutar describes the landscapes, so easy to become immersed in an Aotearoa pre-major deforestation. Fricken cool to read about the East Coast too, can't wait for the next one!!!!!!

[Angela Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gripping historical novel from Dr Soutar which had me engaged throughout, this is the second volume in the series which is a window into the Maori world from pre-colonial times. The tone is different from the first which I found uncomfortably violent. It deals with the time of the so-called Musket Wars which vastly changed the balance of power between the tribes. The coming of the missionaries in turn brought immense change to belief systems and severely curtailed the influence of the tohunga. The central character Hine, is determined to uphold traditional ways while her sons are drawn to the new ideas and new faith, The tension builds taking the reader along to the very end leaving her eagerly waiting the arrival of the third volume.

[Pania · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the first (as sequels usually turn out), the quality of the writing is still immaculate. If you have read the first book, it's worth reading this one. Some highlights throughout the book were Hine-Aute's sons, the struggles of the new technology and religion coming through the East Coast, and the start of Hine-Aute's story.

Unfortunetly, i did find the constant time skips hard to keep up with but in hindsight they were probably there to show how fast Aotearoa changed after the arrival of the first pakehas. over all I would rate this book 4 stars because the good outweighs the bad.

[Amarlee Jagoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second book. As with the first book it is very confronting and at times the violence contained within is horrific. It is important for us to learn about our history regardless of how uncomfortable it makes us feel. Matua Monty writes well and it is not a chore to read his books. The characters you learn about and it is a gift to read about them. This book has wonderful language and was full of my sticky notes in an attempt to remember some of the poetical language.

[Mrs Moa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story that sticks with you long after turning that final page.

An incredibly sensitive subject told in such a beautiful, respectful and open way.

A powerful and emotional tale of heartbreak, brutal revenge, grief, graphic descriptions, truths and I feel it leaves the door slightly ajar for your own interpretation and reflection.

I was sent this book by the publisher and all opinions are my own.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the first of this series was amazing but this one didn’t grab me so much. I think partly as the setting and culture were no longer so unknown to me, partly because there were a lot more characters and places so it was hard to keep track, and partly the deep sadness with which I was reading of the colonisation of New Zealand and wearing away of Māori culture.

[Sonya Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this second book in Monty Soutar's series, telling of the gradual infiltration of Pākehā influence on Māori in the East Coast between 1820 to 1840. Super interesting learning about the role of tohunga, the musket wars, the influence of missionaries and Christianity. Enjoyed the stronger role of women, especially Hine compared with the first book.

[Geoff Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another stunning book that helps you to understand nz history
Some really beautiful analogies and thought provoking observations
I love the way this book gently makes you reassess history and gives you the grace to form your own opinions
These should be compulsory reading in school

[Maxine Hooker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish it. I love the idea, but still find the writing clunky. I love that it has Te Reo in it, but I found it too confusing to keep up with characters and story. Such a shame as he was so interesting to listen to at the Auckland writers festival.

[Jonathon Hagger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book that covers a very long period of time. The book covers of a lot of different historical events and changes. Due to the sweeping lengths of time, there feels to be less emphasis engaging with the characters stories. Definitely some great lessons delivered on the old world of Māori.

[Maxine Hooker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish it. I love the idea, but still find the writing clunky. I love that it has Te Reo in it, but I found it too confusing to keep up with characters and story. Such a shame as he was so interesting to listen to at the Auckland writers festival.

[Dave Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding read which follows the equally absorbing first novel by Monty Soutar

[Robyn Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this story brought history to life and made me think about it from a fresh perspective. Thank you Monty Soutar for bringing us this story. I recommend it to all Kiwis.

[Bob Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story line, relevant.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second novel in the Kawai series.
Explores the clash of cultures and faiths in an epic 19C saga rife with vengeance, makutu, musket warfare, passion and obsession.

[Elisa Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second novel in Soutar’s trilogy is as fascinating & as outstanding as the first book!