One Day A Taniwha

by Tihema Baker

From the bestselling author of Turncoat comes a powerful new novel. As the pressure of fatherhood tightens its grip, sleepless nights and rising tensions begin to erode Hepa's sense of control. When the line between fear and reality begins to blur, can he be trusted with his own son?

Hepa hasn't slept properly in four months. His newborn son, Wī, cries through the night. The bills keep coming. The pressure to hold everything together is closing in.

Hepa tells himself to harden up. Be the pillar his family needs.

The only place he feels in control is in his dreams. Since childhood he's been able to shape them, to bend the dream world to his will.
Until something begins watching back.

A presence with pāua-shell eyes starts appearing in his dreams, and then in waking life. In the shadows. In strangers' faces. Whispering to Hepa while he rocks Wī to sleep.

It feels like living with a taniwha on his shoulder. Hepa can't tell where the nightmares end and the real world begins - and he's terrified of what he might do...

301 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2026

Reviews

[Ikey Ihaka Tunui]

#22_(2026)
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Ki te iti, ki te rahi, ki a tātou katoa, tihei mauri ora. Ka tika rā ki te tuku whakaaro ki a koe e hoa. Nāu anō i whakaaweawe i a mātou e hiahia ana ki te whai i te iti kahurangi o ngā whakaaro auaha. Ka mutu, nāu anō i whakatinana i te moemoeā. Heoi ngā kupu.

‘One Day a Taniwha’ by Kāpiti Coast writer, Tīhema Baker, explores the complexities of first time fatherhood, while interweaving generational trauma, and contemporary biases. The victim - tāne Māori - who struggle silently to navigate these pressures while simply trying to show up. The impact is deafening, and ultimately, whānau are the ones who pay the price.

As a tāne Māori, and a father myself, the kaupapa within this book felt close to home in its relevance. We have Hōhepa (Hoe-hepa as sounded out by some of the characters) is sleep deprived when his four month old son, Wī, won’t sleep. Āniwa, his partner, is also struggling in her own ways, but the whānau try their best to push on hoping that there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

While Hōpeha believes he is doing right by his whānau, he begins neglecting his own hauora - tinana, hinengaro and wairua - opting to chase dreams, and when this happens, something begins to watch back - something with pāua shaped eyes, something from te pō.

‘One Day a Taniwha’ is a timely book. While opening us up to the realities of many tāne Māori and the internal counselling that no doubt, many of us do, it also touches on anti-Māori policies of modern times while asking the question - what is it, that you hate about us?

The content in this book can feel heavy, however, Tīhema has provided a karakia in the beginning of the book should you feel the need.

A solid 4 ✨ read. 🌶️

[Maddy_Az]

It is a chaotic but clearly written demise of a young maaori father. The sadness and frustration of watching from the sidelines and willing him to just speak up talks to the trauma of generations before and the fear of failure as a man. It is simple and authentically written. However, there was a comment that mentioned that it was over edited in the first half... I wondered if that was the case or if it was just the story being set. The story did pull me in more and faster as I was coming up to the second half.

My heart is sad for those who endure and experience these things. It is something that I have seen many times...Read it

[Jonathon Hagger]

This was an interesting read by an author who is finding his voice. The first half of the book feels very, very edited and external editors have put their own mark on the writing. Later in the book the authentic authors voice comes to the fore, rescuing the story from being just another read. The ending in particular is superb and well written.

[Celeritas2]

Standout incredible so readable