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Fishing for Māui
A novel about food, whānau, and mental illness.
Valerie reads George Eliot to get to sleep – just to take her mind off worries over her patients, her children, their father and the next family dinner. Elena is so obsessed with health, traditional food, her pregnancy and her blog she doesn’t notice that her partner, Malcolm the ethicist, is getting himself into a moral dilemma of his own making. Evie wants to save the world one chicken at a time. Meanwhile her boyfriend, Michael is on a quest to reconnect with his Māori heritage and discover his own identity. Rosa is eight years old and lost in her own fantasy world, but she’s the only one who can tell something’s not right. Crisis has the power to bring this family together, but will it be too late?
Valerie reads George Eliot to get to sleep – just to take her mind off worries over her patients, her children, their father and the next family dinner. Elena is so obsessed with health, traditional food, her pregnancy and her blog she doesn’t notice that her partner, Malcolm the ethicist, is getting himself into a moral dilemma of his own making. Evie wants to save the world one chicken at a time. Meanwhile her boyfriend, Michael is on a quest to reconnect with his Māori heritage and discover his own identity. Rosa is eight years old and lost in her own fantasy world, but she’s the only one who can tell something’s not right. Crisis has the power to bring this family together, but will it be too late?
- GenresFiction
366 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2018
7 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Isa Pearl Ritchie
14 books69 followersIsa Pearl Ritchie is a Wellington-based writer. She grew up in the Waikato as a Pākehā child in a bicultural family and Māori was her first written language. She has completed a PhD on food sovereignty in Aotearoa. She is passionate about food, wellbeing and social justice.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 8, 2018
A beautifully told story about family, food, and culture; set against the beautiful backdrop of New Zealand....
Told from multiple points of view, spanning three generations, this book really gives you a honest glimpse into the lives of this family... The family members all have strong and differing opinions on things such as food, culture, and tradition... everyone’s story was told so exquisitely with such elegance at times I felt as though I was reading poetry...
This book just touched on so many different subjects from food to blogging to surfing to medical practices to mental illness to tradition etc. I found I could relate with almost all of the characters, in one way or another, some more than others.... The book captivated my interest throughout and was extremely thought-provoking.... The setting of New Zealand definitely added something to the story for me I learned about a culture I had no previous knowledge of...
A quiet story that’s true beauty is in its words and its characters, recommended to anyone who is looking for a gentle thought-provoking story....
Told from multiple points of view, spanning three generations, this book really gives you a honest glimpse into the lives of this family... The family members all have strong and differing opinions on things such as food, culture, and tradition... everyone’s story was told so exquisitely with such elegance at times I felt as though I was reading poetry...
This book just touched on so many different subjects from food to blogging to surfing to medical practices to mental illness to tradition etc. I found I could relate with almost all of the characters, in one way or another, some more than others.... The book captivated my interest throughout and was extremely thought-provoking.... The setting of New Zealand definitely added something to the story for me I learned about a culture I had no previous knowledge of...
A quiet story that’s true beauty is in its words and its characters, recommended to anyone who is looking for a gentle thought-provoking story....
November 14, 2018
My Rating:
3.75
Favorite Quotes:
The less they know the better it is for them. They sit on the fence between morality and legality, knowing as well as we do that the two concepts can be worlds apart.
It never made sense to me, this story. But I suppose myths don’t have to make sense – gods that became the world, why not? It’s about as likely as one very strict God who created everything in six days and then had a nap.
I don’t say any of what I’m actually thinking to her, because she doesn’t really want to listen. Most people don’t want to listen they just want to be heard.
That’s the thing with relationships; there are always two sides. No one’s ever innocent.
My Review:
I struggled valiantly with this book, it was not an easy read and required considerable mental expenditure, so know going in that this is not a book to pick up for a relaxing or leisurely perusal. I grappled with the frequent use of unfamiliar words that were deployed without translation, and while I understood, respected, and appreciated why they were utilized and important to the story, it became so tedious to this non-native speaker that I gave up using the translator app. But, don’t get me wrong; this was not a poorly written or unpleasant book, quite the opposite. The narrative contained shimmers of brilliance with keenly insightful threads woven into uncommon and vividly detailed and emotive scenarios. The storylines were profoundly real and tackled a plethora of heavy hitting real-life issues faced by a completely dysfunctional family populated with hugely unlikable and extremely exasperating characters. This is the type of obnoxiously self-involved and rigidly judgmental family that felt uncomfortably familiar and of the ilk that any sane person would move far far away from to avoid; I should know, I highly recommend that technique as the best method for escape.
3.75
Favorite Quotes:
The less they know the better it is for them. They sit on the fence between morality and legality, knowing as well as we do that the two concepts can be worlds apart.
It never made sense to me, this story. But I suppose myths don’t have to make sense – gods that became the world, why not? It’s about as likely as one very strict God who created everything in six days and then had a nap.
I don’t say any of what I’m actually thinking to her, because she doesn’t really want to listen. Most people don’t want to listen they just want to be heard.
That’s the thing with relationships; there are always two sides. No one’s ever innocent.
My Review:
I struggled valiantly with this book, it was not an easy read and required considerable mental expenditure, so know going in that this is not a book to pick up for a relaxing or leisurely perusal. I grappled with the frequent use of unfamiliar words that were deployed without translation, and while I understood, respected, and appreciated why they were utilized and important to the story, it became so tedious to this non-native speaker that I gave up using the translator app. But, don’t get me wrong; this was not a poorly written or unpleasant book, quite the opposite. The narrative contained shimmers of brilliance with keenly insightful threads woven into uncommon and vividly detailed and emotive scenarios. The storylines were profoundly real and tackled a plethora of heavy hitting real-life issues faced by a completely dysfunctional family populated with hugely unlikable and extremely exasperating characters. This is the type of obnoxiously self-involved and rigidly judgmental family that felt uncomfortably familiar and of the ilk that any sane person would move far far away from to avoid; I should know, I highly recommend that technique as the best method for escape.
January 7, 2019
This is a very well written portrait of a family moving through a crisis. Its style is to take each character and write short chapters in their different voices; their viewpoints, what is important to them and their concerns of the moment. It is a slow build of characters and story over a period of nine or ten months.
There is a strong focus on food and health, but also the dilemmas that will face a family that has suffered a split and division of parents.
Valerie probably appears a successful solo mum, juggling family and career. She is a doctor, a GP always struggling to keep her patients healthy. Doing this makes her worry that she is not looking after her own family of four children. It means she has to be strict with them, and they have to be more self-reliant than most. She is often late to pick up Rosa, the youngest, from school. Her ex-partner Caleb is portrayed as the hopeless lay about, always watching sport on the TV, going to the pub or off on a fishing trip. He has no ability to deal with his two daughters but will take his sons on fishing trips. Although not stated in the book, it made me think that if the roles had been reversed, and the man had been the doctor, the woman would likely have devoted herself far more successfully to the needs of the children, putting her own needs to one side. Caleb, one senses, will never get that balance right.
The eldest daughter Elena is pregnant with her first child. She is a food blogger and is constantly including recipes in her short columns. These feel slightly at odds with the narrative, a little too much detail, even if some of them made me think, oooh I should give that dish a try. Michael is slightly younger and in his first year at university. He likes to surf and stays with his grandmother, close to a wild west coast beach. Here is another theme, as the grandmother Gayle is Māori, and Michael is the only member of the family interested in his heritage and language. He is fascinated by the myths of Maui, the trickster god of the Māori pantheon.
Michael is the one who supplies the central dilemma of the book, as he gradually begins to lose his hold on reality and starts to suffer psychosis. The family pull together and rally around him, but what Isa Ritchie catches beautifully in the short chapters is Valerie’s inability to help. She is so used to fixing people but here is her own son and she cannot seem to help. When Rosa, the eight-year-old asks too many questions of her mum, about seeing into the brain to really know what is going on, or even if the madness is true, her mum snaps at her, unable to deal with all the pressures around her. Rosa’s viewpoints are cleverly written, naïve but insightful at the same time.
My only criticism is that we are faced with nine lives, nine viewpoints to constantly juggle, and having a Michael and a Malcolm, an Elena and an Evie, sometimes is too much of the same similar initial. On the positive side they are all very real, we care about them all, except for the ex-husband, who feels a bit like a plot device.
There is a strong focus on food and health, but also the dilemmas that will face a family that has suffered a split and division of parents.
Valerie probably appears a successful solo mum, juggling family and career. She is a doctor, a GP always struggling to keep her patients healthy. Doing this makes her worry that she is not looking after her own family of four children. It means she has to be strict with them, and they have to be more self-reliant than most. She is often late to pick up Rosa, the youngest, from school. Her ex-partner Caleb is portrayed as the hopeless lay about, always watching sport on the TV, going to the pub or off on a fishing trip. He has no ability to deal with his two daughters but will take his sons on fishing trips. Although not stated in the book, it made me think that if the roles had been reversed, and the man had been the doctor, the woman would likely have devoted herself far more successfully to the needs of the children, putting her own needs to one side. Caleb, one senses, will never get that balance right.
The eldest daughter Elena is pregnant with her first child. She is a food blogger and is constantly including recipes in her short columns. These feel slightly at odds with the narrative, a little too much detail, even if some of them made me think, oooh I should give that dish a try. Michael is slightly younger and in his first year at university. He likes to surf and stays with his grandmother, close to a wild west coast beach. Here is another theme, as the grandmother Gayle is Māori, and Michael is the only member of the family interested in his heritage and language. He is fascinated by the myths of Maui, the trickster god of the Māori pantheon.
Michael is the one who supplies the central dilemma of the book, as he gradually begins to lose his hold on reality and starts to suffer psychosis. The family pull together and rally around him, but what Isa Ritchie catches beautifully in the short chapters is Valerie’s inability to help. She is so used to fixing people but here is her own son and she cannot seem to help. When Rosa, the eight-year-old asks too many questions of her mum, about seeing into the brain to really know what is going on, or even if the madness is true, her mum snaps at her, unable to deal with all the pressures around her. Rosa’s viewpoints are cleverly written, naïve but insightful at the same time.
My only criticism is that we are faced with nine lives, nine viewpoints to constantly juggle, and having a Michael and a Malcolm, an Elena and an Evie, sometimes is too much of the same similar initial. On the positive side they are all very real, we care about them all, except for the ex-husband, who feels a bit like a plot device.
November 9, 2018
My Review - Fishing for Maui
The Good
A challenging book with lots of points of view and well written. I absolutely related to aspects of racism, veganism, and trouble with children in school.
I am no longer a vegan but parts of the food conversations had me screaming with laughter. I could really relate!
The Bad
Very tough and hard topics are being dealt with in a very different POV from key characters including the young ones. I really enjoyed the dynamic contrast of feelings and emotions.
The Ugly
A challenging book to write, but done very effectively. I resonated with the characters and will definitely read more from this author.
4 Stars - I read this as part of a blog tour
The Good
A challenging book with lots of points of view and well written. I absolutely related to aspects of racism, veganism, and trouble with children in school.
I am no longer a vegan but parts of the food conversations had me screaming with laughter. I could really relate!
The Bad
Very tough and hard topics are being dealt with in a very different POV from key characters including the young ones. I really enjoyed the dynamic contrast of feelings and emotions.
The Ugly
A challenging book to write, but done very effectively. I resonated with the characters and will definitely read more from this author.
4 Stars - I read this as part of a blog tour
November 4, 2018
Interesting characters, and insights into a range of views on food. I thought the mental illness (psychosis) came a bit late in the story, but it was treated well. Good to have people talking about this, and how it affects families.
October 2, 2018
The ocean features in this lyrical and poignant story. In many ways this book is like a body of water. The story moves slowly and dreamily as it rises arises and falls. We know that oceans are changeable- sometimes the waves pound and sometimes the tide moves languidly. And so it is in this book, there is drama and conflict, beauty and philosophy, but always the story the rolls on in a beautiful way.
Each chapter in this book is narrated by a different character, and there are many characters. Although most of the characters are connected by a family relationship, as the book begins their stories are very separate. But as the book moves to the conclusion, their stories come together.
Valerie is the mother of this family. They live in New Zealand. Her ex-husband and the father of the children is Maori. Elena is her older daughter. She lives with Malcom and is expecting. Elena would rather blog about her life. She blogs about traditional nutrition and some of her posts and recipes are featured in the book.
Michael is Valerie’s son. He attends “uni” and seems to be a typical young man who surfs and hangs with his buddies. His girlfriend comes and goes. He is intrigued by the Maori myths with their larger-than-life characters, sentient mountains and sacred jawbones.
Rosa is eight years old and the younger daughter. She seems older than her years. These and other characters all share their stories about dealing with life, and each story is lovely. When a crisis hits the family, they learn even more about each other. They are “brought closer by the knowledge of fragility.”
This is a book that resonated with me. Readers should be prepared for a more literary fiction-type of read. I am glad I read this special book and I recommend it.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel’s Random Reads for a review copy. This is my honest review.
Each chapter in this book is narrated by a different character, and there are many characters. Although most of the characters are connected by a family relationship, as the book begins their stories are very separate. But as the book moves to the conclusion, their stories come together.
Valerie is the mother of this family. They live in New Zealand. Her ex-husband and the father of the children is Maori. Elena is her older daughter. She lives with Malcom and is expecting. Elena would rather blog about her life. She blogs about traditional nutrition and some of her posts and recipes are featured in the book.
Michael is Valerie’s son. He attends “uni” and seems to be a typical young man who surfs and hangs with his buddies. His girlfriend comes and goes. He is intrigued by the Maori myths with their larger-than-life characters, sentient mountains and sacred jawbones.
Rosa is eight years old and the younger daughter. She seems older than her years. These and other characters all share their stories about dealing with life, and each story is lovely. When a crisis hits the family, they learn even more about each other. They are “brought closer by the knowledge of fragility.”
This is a book that resonated with me. Readers should be prepared for a more literary fiction-type of read. I am glad I read this special book and I recommend it.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel’s Random Reads for a review copy. This is my honest review.
November 6, 2018
This is the first book I'm reading from Isa Pearl Ritchie, and I enjoyed it a lot. It's a book that was thought provoking and engaging, plus I loved the setting of the story, because although I don't know much about New Zealand and Māori heritage, I love learning more about cultures and religions.
This book is also a story about a family, and that's always interesting to me because of the big family I have and all the different countries I have family in, which means there is a diversity. In this case, I loved it because we could see the family dynamic and get to know the characters as individuals and as family members.
Besides the story is told by different characters, from three generations, which made the book amazing, because we can see what those characters think, believe and how the act based on the culture, ancestry and society. From a point of view of a Social Educator that loves cultures and religions, that was a fascinating this and very enlightening.
We meet a lot of characters in this story, and each one has strength, doubts, problems and goals. It really felt like "listening" to my family members talk about their lives. It felt like that because, just like listening to my grandma talk about silly moments or telling me about her love story with grandpa, I felt a connection.
That was the beauty of the author's writing style. She gave us well developed characters, that were engaging, that felt real and that we could connect to. Like Michael, for example, he's trying to reconnect with his Māori heritage and discover his own identity. Okay, I may not have a Māori heritage, but I could connect to him because once upon a time I was searching for answers, to define who I really was, to discover my own identity, the characteristics that made me different from all the members in the society I lived in.
This book made me think. It made me think about myself and my own journey to discover who I am, a journey that in a way I'm still taking. It also made me think about my family and my ancestry and were I came from. So, it was a thought provoking book for me.
Overall, I recommend this novel. A novel about food... Food for the body, the mind and the soul.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Isa for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun and by being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book.]
This book is also a story about a family, and that's always interesting to me because of the big family I have and all the different countries I have family in, which means there is a diversity. In this case, I loved it because we could see the family dynamic and get to know the characters as individuals and as family members.
Besides the story is told by different characters, from three generations, which made the book amazing, because we can see what those characters think, believe and how the act based on the culture, ancestry and society. From a point of view of a Social Educator that loves cultures and religions, that was a fascinating this and very enlightening.
We meet a lot of characters in this story, and each one has strength, doubts, problems and goals. It really felt like "listening" to my family members talk about their lives. It felt like that because, just like listening to my grandma talk about silly moments or telling me about her love story with grandpa, I felt a connection.
That was the beauty of the author's writing style. She gave us well developed characters, that were engaging, that felt real and that we could connect to. Like Michael, for example, he's trying to reconnect with his Māori heritage and discover his own identity. Okay, I may not have a Māori heritage, but I could connect to him because once upon a time I was searching for answers, to define who I really was, to discover my own identity, the characteristics that made me different from all the members in the society I lived in.
This book made me think. It made me think about myself and my own journey to discover who I am, a journey that in a way I'm still taking. It also made me think about my family and my ancestry and were I came from. So, it was a thought provoking book for me.
Overall, I recommend this novel. A novel about food... Food for the body, the mind and the soul.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Isa for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun and by being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book.]
November 19, 2018
The synopsis for this book gives a nice glimpse into this book and its characters, a story of a family living in New Zealand.
Each family member tells their own story and it's through their words I was able to get a picture of the relationships and emotions between one another and their individual strengths and weaknesses within this family unit.
Each member of the family is very different in what they feel is a priority. For one of the family members, his Maori heritage and ancestry is of utmost importance and here the author did a wonderful job of introducing and explaining the Maori beliefs and traditions. For another family member processed food in any form and eating healthy and clean food is important. Gradually I discovered many things that made this family unique and interesting. With all these differing opinions there is a mix of information given to the reader, and here the author has successfully achieved this passing of information without it being too confusing.
There are several subjects that are involved in the story and they have been woven in a rather quiet and yet dramatic way. What I mean is that this is a story about family, everyday people doing everyday things, with the usual familial drama that is associated with it. There are also several moralistic as well as ethical dilemmas that came out, and the author has found the balance that I didn't feel I was being preached at, using the characters within the story to tackle, discuss and argue various points gave me a chance to see differing opinions.
As I read, I realised this story was a story of demands that we put on ourselves, that society puts on and that is expected by family. These demands can cause rifts and stress within relationships and the strain of an event causes the family to stop and look at what they have. A gentle story of family, relationships, growing up and self to discovery. One I would recommend.
Each family member tells their own story and it's through their words I was able to get a picture of the relationships and emotions between one another and their individual strengths and weaknesses within this family unit.
Each member of the family is very different in what they feel is a priority. For one of the family members, his Maori heritage and ancestry is of utmost importance and here the author did a wonderful job of introducing and explaining the Maori beliefs and traditions. For another family member processed food in any form and eating healthy and clean food is important. Gradually I discovered many things that made this family unique and interesting. With all these differing opinions there is a mix of information given to the reader, and here the author has successfully achieved this passing of information without it being too confusing.
There are several subjects that are involved in the story and they have been woven in a rather quiet and yet dramatic way. What I mean is that this is a story about family, everyday people doing everyday things, with the usual familial drama that is associated with it. There are also several moralistic as well as ethical dilemmas that came out, and the author has found the balance that I didn't feel I was being preached at, using the characters within the story to tackle, discuss and argue various points gave me a chance to see differing opinions.
As I read, I realised this story was a story of demands that we put on ourselves, that society puts on and that is expected by family. These demands can cause rifts and stress within relationships and the strain of an event causes the family to stop and look at what they have. A gentle story of family, relationships, growing up and self to discovery. One I would recommend.
November 7, 2018
Fishing for Maui is a beautifully written book packed full to the brim with heart, soul and love. It's overflowing with a discourse on various topics that have piqued my interest and provoked my thoughts. The book challenges ideals over religion, heritage, ethics, morality, mental health and activism to name but a few and I found myself challenging my own view points as I took the journey through the story. A book that challenges your thoughts to me, signifies something that will stay with you for many years to come as I'm finding myself discussing the topics with friends and family in order to ascertain their view points and spark debate. As well as challenging ideals this story is told from view points that span several generations taking into account heritage and culture adding in extra layers to this thought provoking book.
Valerie is finding it hard to keep in control and do what is best for her children. She is a doctor which means she should be at the forefront of medical knowledge but finds her opinions constantly being challenged by her daughter Elena who sees a stronger connection with alternative medicine and natural nutrition. Michael wants to connect to his Maori heritage but gets lost along the way and young Rosa is tackling life as any eight-year-old can by negotiating the trials and tribulations of school and learning where her place is amongst a big family.
This story is a melting pot of topics, ideals, debates, actions and consequences which takes you on a rollercoaster ride of thought. It's a challenging read that puts the mind through its paces and I feel that you will pick up a new trail of thought with each journey through the book which is a testament to the excellent writing of Isa Richie. Fishing for Maui is a beautifully written and thought provoking book that pulls you into a story that has family and love at its heart. I couldn't recommend this book enough.
Valerie is finding it hard to keep in control and do what is best for her children. She is a doctor which means she should be at the forefront of medical knowledge but finds her opinions constantly being challenged by her daughter Elena who sees a stronger connection with alternative medicine and natural nutrition. Michael wants to connect to his Maori heritage but gets lost along the way and young Rosa is tackling life as any eight-year-old can by negotiating the trials and tribulations of school and learning where her place is amongst a big family.
This story is a melting pot of topics, ideals, debates, actions and consequences which takes you on a rollercoaster ride of thought. It's a challenging read that puts the mind through its paces and I feel that you will pick up a new trail of thought with each journey through the book which is a testament to the excellent writing of Isa Richie. Fishing for Maui is a beautifully written and thought provoking book that pulls you into a story that has family and love at its heart. I couldn't recommend this book enough.
September 4, 2018
Such an interesting book, really well written. I love that it is set in Raglan and Hamilton too.
October 24, 2018
This is alternating chapters each telling a person’s story within a family. Valerie reads,Elena is pregnant and focused on food and diet. Rosa is a child and writes accordingly.Michael is the son and keen to learn of legend. One who wants to do right by her body and others, another who enjoys surfing and is learning of tradition from his grandmother. One who is releasing animals from farming, another who is young and more impressionable, There are views on ethics and religion to food and health. Not a traditional read by a long chalk, this tells of thoughts and actions - blogging,ethics, food, etc set in New Zealand.There are recipes for food and skin balm and quotes along the way. This is almost the inner most thoughts of a family. An unusual read- perhaps for discerning tastes or perhaps to widen our views on life and all it has to offer. A thought provoking read.
June 26, 2019
Ritchie’s characters are great. They’re three-dimensional: both annoying and relatable all at once. A very good read.
August 13, 2018
I connected with many aspects of this book. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the insights gained about the characters through different lenses and perspectives. It made me chuckle when I could see myself or others I know reflected in these characters. This book made me reflect about the values of food, health, & wellness that exist within myself, my friends and my own whānau and how these all play out in my relationships and my own world. I enjoyed the use of te reo Māori and related to some aspects of Michael's journey in pulling back the layers of his own identity. Lovely book :-)
September 26, 2018
This book packs a lot of themes in: identify, food blogging, spirituality, animal rights, home births, mental illness (or is it?) and more. Every character has a kaupapa and that could be overwhelming or come across as preachy but Isa makes it work really well. Maybe because all the characters experience doubts about their respective paths which makes it more relatable.
September 26, 2018
Wow, what an incredible book. 'Page-turner' is a terrible cliche but I felt compelled to keep turning the pages, to know what next - and when it ended I wanted more. Isa is an obvious expert on her complex subjects and yet treats each gently with respectful reverence. The dialogue is on point, the storyline meaty enough to draw the reader in fully, and the characters so robust they feel like everyone I know... and am. It made me feel fiercely proud to be a New Zealander. Read this, but force yourself to take breaks because if you don't you'll skip meals and it will be over all too quick :-)
April 13, 2020
Depression and mental health awareness are thankfully well out of the closet now and into the open, and fiction has been tremendously helpful to many people dealing with their own dark times. Fishing for Māui will have, for some, characters struggling with their own demons that they can identify with, situations that will resonate, feelings they know only too well. And there are plenty of characters, each given their own voice to traverse their inner lives.
There’s Michael, whose dark thoughts begin to overcome his otherwise laid-back surfie wellbeing. Michael is trying to identify with his Māori heritage, leading to recurring renditions of the tales of Māui, and issues with te reo and marae protocol. His brother John seems to be filled with anger at school, his family and life in general. Their mother Valerie is beset with ever-present guilt at not being there for her children because she is so taken up with the patients at her general practice. Her daughter Elena is so busy blogging about what she believes to be healthy food for her pregnancy that she misses her partner Malcolm’s increasingly serious dalliance with one of his university students. Malcolm’s grandmother also has a voice, as does Valerie’s ex Caleb, a stereotypical bloke obsessed with rugby, racing and beer. Michael’s partner Evie is a committed animal welfare activist and vegan, inclined – like Elena – to preach rather a lot about food values and the environment. The preachiness does get a bit wearing after a while, especially coming at us from two of the main characters, sometimes in succession. No sooner are we getting over the cruelty to chickens sermon, we’re plunged into an evils of baby wipes or dangers of additives diatribe. The only reasonably contented character seems to be eight-year-old youngest sister Rosa, who unsurprisingly can see all is not well with her unhappy family.
A large cast of characters, each taking their own chapters to put forward their part of the story, lead us towards an awaited climax. But the problem with covering nine points of view of not always likeable people in one novel is that the reader can find it somewhat overwhelming, switching in just a couple of pages between one and another, just getting the feel for one character before several more pour out their heartfelt thoughts. It’s unfortunate, because Isa Pearl Ritchie is a good writer and she has quite a compelling tale to weave of overcoming depression, finding yourself through your heritage, searching for wellbeing, and just how different and complex each member of a family can be. With fewer characters putting forward their own points of view and more in-depth focus on the main characters this could have been a much more engaging read.
There’s Michael, whose dark thoughts begin to overcome his otherwise laid-back surfie wellbeing. Michael is trying to identify with his Māori heritage, leading to recurring renditions of the tales of Māui, and issues with te reo and marae protocol. His brother John seems to be filled with anger at school, his family and life in general. Their mother Valerie is beset with ever-present guilt at not being there for her children because she is so taken up with the patients at her general practice. Her daughter Elena is so busy blogging about what she believes to be healthy food for her pregnancy that she misses her partner Malcolm’s increasingly serious dalliance with one of his university students. Malcolm’s grandmother also has a voice, as does Valerie’s ex Caleb, a stereotypical bloke obsessed with rugby, racing and beer. Michael’s partner Evie is a committed animal welfare activist and vegan, inclined – like Elena – to preach rather a lot about food values and the environment. The preachiness does get a bit wearing after a while, especially coming at us from two of the main characters, sometimes in succession. No sooner are we getting over the cruelty to chickens sermon, we’re plunged into an evils of baby wipes or dangers of additives diatribe. The only reasonably contented character seems to be eight-year-old youngest sister Rosa, who unsurprisingly can see all is not well with her unhappy family.
A large cast of characters, each taking their own chapters to put forward their part of the story, lead us towards an awaited climax. But the problem with covering nine points of view of not always likeable people in one novel is that the reader can find it somewhat overwhelming, switching in just a couple of pages between one and another, just getting the feel for one character before several more pour out their heartfelt thoughts. It’s unfortunate, because Isa Pearl Ritchie is a good writer and she has quite a compelling tale to weave of overcoming depression, finding yourself through your heritage, searching for wellbeing, and just how different and complex each member of a family can be. With fewer characters putting forward their own points of view and more in-depth focus on the main characters this could have been a much more engaging read.
December 19, 2018
A novel about food, whānau, and mental illness.
Blurb: Valerie reads George Eliot to get to sleep – just to take her mind off worries over her patients, her children, their father and the next family dinner. Elena is so obsessed with health, traditional food, her pregnancy and her blog she doesn’t notice that her partner, Malcolm the ethicist, is getting himself into a moral dilemma of his own making. Evie wants to save the world one chicken at a time. Meanwhile her boyfriend, Michael is on a quest to reconnect with his Māori heritage and discover his own identity. Rosa is eight years old and lost in her own fantasy world, but she’s the only one who can tell something’s not right. Crisis has the power to bring this family together, but will it be too late?
Fishing for Maui - Front - (RGB)A gorgeous, eye-catching cover enfolds this is a gentle, lilting read. It’s completely different to anything I’ve read before and way, way, off the beaten track of my usual preferred genres. But I found it surprisingly comforting! I think that the Maori concept of ‘whanau’ was something that I found to be extremely soothing. It’s basically a sense of community and similar to the idea of ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. In South Africa, I think it would be akin to the term ‘uBuntu’, which is an Nguni term often translated as ‘I am because we are’ or ‘humanity towards others’. Whanau reminded me a lot of uBuntu, and I found that heartwarming.
Each chapter is related by a different character, and in the beginning, I did find it all a bit confusing. But when I was able to finally link everyone together, and as the story comes together, then everything falls into place. I resonated particularly with Elena – I suppose because she’s a blogger like me – although I did feel she was a bit obsessed and that she treated her blog like it was her child!
This is a beautiful read. The author knows her subject matter, and certainly knows the areas and places she’s writing about – all completely new and foreign to me!
4 stars for this very different, but utterly engaging and endearing book.
Blurb: Valerie reads George Eliot to get to sleep – just to take her mind off worries over her patients, her children, their father and the next family dinner. Elena is so obsessed with health, traditional food, her pregnancy and her blog she doesn’t notice that her partner, Malcolm the ethicist, is getting himself into a moral dilemma of his own making. Evie wants to save the world one chicken at a time. Meanwhile her boyfriend, Michael is on a quest to reconnect with his Māori heritage and discover his own identity. Rosa is eight years old and lost in her own fantasy world, but she’s the only one who can tell something’s not right. Crisis has the power to bring this family together, but will it be too late?
Fishing for Maui - Front - (RGB)A gorgeous, eye-catching cover enfolds this is a gentle, lilting read. It’s completely different to anything I’ve read before and way, way, off the beaten track of my usual preferred genres. But I found it surprisingly comforting! I think that the Maori concept of ‘whanau’ was something that I found to be extremely soothing. It’s basically a sense of community and similar to the idea of ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. In South Africa, I think it would be akin to the term ‘uBuntu’, which is an Nguni term often translated as ‘I am because we are’ or ‘humanity towards others’. Whanau reminded me a lot of uBuntu, and I found that heartwarming.
Each chapter is related by a different character, and in the beginning, I did find it all a bit confusing. But when I was able to finally link everyone together, and as the story comes together, then everything falls into place. I resonated particularly with Elena – I suppose because she’s a blogger like me – although I did feel she was a bit obsessed and that she treated her blog like it was her child!
This is a beautiful read. The author knows her subject matter, and certainly knows the areas and places she’s writing about – all completely new and foreign to me!
4 stars for this very different, but utterly engaging and endearing book.
June 4, 2024
A nice read. The characters were all quite extreme but I guess that is life. I enjoyed this book but it did make me feel unsettled and uncomfortable at times.
Favourite quotes
A tree falls...It doesn't really fall, it just leans on those around it and slowly decays. Every particle returns to the ecosystem.
Te atamai, Te āhua
"Shape and form, you might say, but there aren't proper words in English. English words are all in the head - not here." She pats her chest above the heart. Manawa. "They're all about what should be but nothing about what really is."
Logical fallacy - "conflating morality with lagality" Law is defined in print, created by the government, enforced by the court and police. It's designed to maintain social order. Morality differ from person to person. It depends on your background and your experiences.
It's a song, this language, my language, with its even syllables and the absence of the harsher sounds that English is loaded with. It's earthy and strong, so full of reverence and life and movement, especially in this ritual of pōwhiri which is so much like a dance.
Favourite quotes
A tree falls...It doesn't really fall, it just leans on those around it and slowly decays. Every particle returns to the ecosystem.
Te atamai, Te āhua
"Shape and form, you might say, but there aren't proper words in English. English words are all in the head - not here." She pats her chest above the heart. Manawa. "They're all about what should be but nothing about what really is."
Logical fallacy - "conflating morality with lagality" Law is defined in print, created by the government, enforced by the court and police. It's designed to maintain social order. Morality differ from person to person. It depends on your background and your experiences.
It's a song, this language, my language, with its even syllables and the absence of the harsher sounds that English is loaded with. It's earthy and strong, so full of reverence and life and movement, especially in this ritual of pōwhiri which is so much like a dance.
June 6, 2023
A fresh, heartwarming novel about a family in Whaingaroa (Raglan) dealing with various things including food issues, reconnecting with one's Māori heritage, pregnancy, a women's health issue, neglect, mental health, an affair... there's a lot packed into this novel! Two characters were obsessed in one way or another with food - one a devotee of the Weston A Price diet, the other a vegan. And the mother is a doctor, so fairly orthodox health views.
The author's writing style is clear, flowing and easy to read, with authentic dialogue. I found there were too many points of view - nine, I think - the divorced parents, the four children, two of their partners, and the grandmother. Their voices were reasonably distinct but the chapters were short, and as a reader I felt like I constantly had to jump around.
A few little errors escaped the proofreader - including "bowel" twice instead of "bowl" - momentarily alarming!
The author's writing style is clear, flowing and easy to read, with authentic dialogue. I found there were too many points of view - nine, I think - the divorced parents, the four children, two of their partners, and the grandmother. Their voices were reasonably distinct but the chapters were short, and as a reader I felt like I constantly had to jump around.
A few little errors escaped the proofreader - including "bowel" twice instead of "bowl" - momentarily alarming!
September 9, 2020
It’s a shame because I really liked many aspects of the book - I found the details touching, the stories engaging and relevant, and the style to the point. It may be a personal preference, but the first person narrative took me out of the world somewhat. It grew difficult to differentiate between character voices, which seemed to bleed into each other at times. While I love Valerie, Elena, Michael, and Evie’s plot lines, it sometimes felt as the others were just devices to advance the story. I read recently that a novel should include the most interesting or significant slice of a persons life, and this perhaps did not hold true for some characters.
Overall the book is a very interesting slice of Kiwi life, and I enjoyed it. I just wanted it to dig deeper and more specifically.
Overall the book is a very interesting slice of Kiwi life, and I enjoyed it. I just wanted it to dig deeper and more specifically.
September 27, 2024
Fishing for Maui reminded me of Anna Krien's (2019) Act of Grace which trawled through fourteen contemporary issues that were troubling her. (See my review). Only Fishing for Maui is worse, because as well as taking on multiple issues of concern, the novel peddles all kinds of wellness mumbo-jumbo... some of which could be harmful if taken seriously.
My review is full of spoilers so I haven't posted it here. It's at https://anzlitlovers.com/2024/09/27/f...
My review is full of spoilers so I haven't posted it here. It's at https://anzlitlovers.com/2024/09/27/f...
January 20, 2020
A beautifully written book that draws you in to the world, or rather worlds, of the characters. I found it odd that the two couples have such similar names, and found it hard to keep them straight in my mind for a while. I’m not sure if this has some particular meaning that I am missing - probably! I liked the way the author managed the various viewpoints, the writing was skilful enough that the jumps didn’t feel disorienting (once I had sorted out the names...). There are themes of coming to terms with not living up to impossible standards, and wading into the inevitable messiness of life.
A compassionate book about people trying to find their way.
A compassionate book about people trying to find their way.
July 9, 2019
ugh...I'm having such bad book luck right now. This book was so so weird, I'm amazed I made it through. The plot wasn't actually that bad just kind of lame but the characters were so overly horrible that you had no sympathy for any of them and none of them got better or ever cared that the others were horrible. There were also some very extreme but random continuity issues that just made the book seem lazy. blech
April 16, 2020
This book by a New Zealand indie author centres on three generations of one family. The point of view switches repeatedly from one person to the next, although we hear from some characters a lot more than others. By following the different strands you are able to build a fairly accurate picture of the the family - warts and all - as a whole, but personally I think a little less would have been more in this respect. One of the strongest aspects of the book was the descent of one character into psychosis. like the other characters I was left wondering what early clues I had missed. I liked seeing aspects of Maori culture and mythology woven throughout the story, and felt it gave a good representation of some aspects of the Kiwi lifestyle. It’s always nice to see places you know pop up in a book. The author covered a lot of other ground in this book including, but not limited to, veganism, natural childbirth, animal rights, traditional nutrition and over-medicalisation. But too much of it felt forced and didactic to me, as if the author through her characters was delivering a lecture.
November 27, 2018
Loved this book
The people were real and engaging. The cultural aspect was very interesting. The information about different diets and medical theories was well represented while not taking away from the story.
The people were real and engaging. The cultural aspect was very interesting. The information about different diets and medical theories was well represented while not taking away from the story.
June 25, 2019
I wanted to like this more than I actually did.
July 7, 2019
This was a bit good! The characters were so well written and I didn't feel like any aspect was dramatised.
April 8, 2020
I just found this book very boring and I kept waiting for the story. It left me feeling frustrated.
December 31, 2022
I enjoyed this tale. A good intermingling of themes and perspectives. Tackling mental health, food obsessions and whanau relationships all in a very readable format.
September 1, 2019
Other than the characters and the plot line, everything else about the book I genuinely really liked (the pace, the themes, some of the dialogue). Felt like a really beautiful picture frame with a quite lovely painting that also happened to coexist with it.
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