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Harbouring
It is 1839 and Huw Pengellin is desperate to find a better life for his family than the one he ekes out in Wales. His wife, Martha, is fully aware just how foolhardy Huw’s schemes can be, but she is keen to escape the foundry slums, as well as Huw’s brother Gareth, with his hot eyes and roving hands’ Might Colonel Wakefield’s plans to take settlers to the distant shores of New Zealand offer a solution?
On the other side of the world, watching the new arrivals, is Hineroa, who is also desperate to find a better life. Will she be a slave for ever, will she ever be reunited with her people, and will the ships that keep sailing into the bay bring further trouble?
Change is underway, not just for these characters but also for the crescent of beach, thick bush and steep hills that are about to become the bustling settlement of Wellington.
On the other side of the world, watching the new arrivals, is Hineroa, who is also desperate to find a better life. Will she be a slave for ever, will she ever be reunited with her people, and will the ships that keep sailing into the bay bring further trouble?
Change is underway, not just for these characters but also for the crescent of beach, thick bush and steep hills that are about to become the bustling settlement of Wellington.
297 pages, Paperback
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About the author
Jenny Pattrick
14 books49 followersJenny Pattrick is an acclaimed historical novelist, whose The Denniston Rose, and its sequel Heart of Coal, are among New Zealand's bestselling novels. In 2009 she received the New Zealand Post Mansfield Fellowship. She has been active in the arts community, and has also written stories, songs and shows for children.
Jenny Pattrick has been awarded the OBE for services to the arts, the 1990 medal, is featured in the Wellington Girls' College Hall of Fame and has received the NZ Post Katherine Mansfield Prize.
Jenny Pattrick has been awarded the OBE for services to the arts, the 1990 medal, is featured in the Wellington Girls' College Hall of Fame and has received the NZ Post Katherine Mansfield Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 28, 2023
4 ⭐️ Took me a while to get into this, as I don’t normally like historical fiction and found the writing a bit clunky/dry, but once Pattrick started to paint a picture of Greater Wellington in the 1840s I was hooked for the rest of the book. I learned so much from this book about early European settler life and Māori history of this period, now I am hungry to learn more. It was clever writing from the perspective of the working class, both Māori and Pākehā. I really liked Hineroa and Martha. It was a relief to have strong female characters in this story otherwise it would have been a huge no from me.
April 25, 2022
A good historical read set in my home city at its settling by Europeans.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and rate it as the best yet of the Jenny Patrick’s novels I have read
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and rate it as the best yet of the Jenny Patrick’s novels I have read
June 9, 2022
Love reading about NZ, this is a great story as you can imagine that's what it would have been like back then. I like the use of Te Reo throughout the story. Hineroa was my favourite character.
December 31, 2022
Settling in Wellington / Te Whanganui-a-tara / Poneke. #3wordbookreview
October 17, 2022
A great historical read that describes how it might have been for our ancestors, who came to Aotearoa NZ in search of a better life.
Want to read
September 26, 2024This is a good read - it is short, and some may find it lacks descriptive detail in parts. However, the focus is on the characters and their experiences. The story is linked by a series of well-known historical events in 1839 when the first of the New NZ Company settlers arrived. The creation and development of pivotal Maori characters both real and imagined drew into to what it was really like on a day-to-day basis.
Combining this book with several of the Black Sheep podcasts on RNZ is an excellent way to learn about what happened when the British arrived in numbers to the Wellington and Nelson regions.
Combining this book with several of the Black Sheep podcasts on RNZ is an excellent way to learn about what happened when the British arrived in numbers to the Wellington and Nelson regions.
June 8, 2022
She is a bit of a national treasure Jenny Pattrick, with her terrific historical novels of early pioneer life in New Zealand. Life would have been so tough, so hard for these pioneers, especially for the women whose work really did never end. Primitive living conditions, weather challenges, health and medical challenges - so brave and courageous these early settlers to this country were. It was hope that kept them going, that and knowing they were better off in this hard environment than living in poverty, with no economic power or prospect of ever being able to better themselves in the towns/villages/cities they lived in in Scotland/England/Ireland/Wales. For these migrants, life could not get any worse, so why not leave and start again in a land of opportunity, endless space, fresh clean air and equality. What is there not to like!
It is the late 1830s, Huw Penhalligan, his wife Martha and young child live a miserable existence in a mining town in Wales. Huw has a connection to Colonel Wakefield who has set himself up as the brains behind organised settlement to New Zealand, in this case the brand new settlement of Wellington. Naturally is has all been over-hyped by Wakefield and his cronies, there not actually being any settlement at all. But like all the pioneers and early settlers, the Penhalligan's were tough, hard working and determined. The history of the settlement of NZ, as with Australia, Canada, the US, and many many other countries, is intricately tied up with the indigenous residents, in this case the Maori. The author has done a terrific job of immersing the story line with the history of the time - the various Maori tribes at war with each other, their need for muskets driving them to 'sell' their land. In the middle of all this is Hineora, a high born young Maori woman who is now a slave to the conquering tribe of Te Rauparaha. She is fortunate in that she was taught English from a whaler and this makes her very useful to the new settlers. Unsurprisingly there are complications as the two races meet, get to know each other and learn to live with each other. In the midst of all this chaos, Martha and Huw, along with the other early settlers of Wellington muddle along, trying to make some order, build shelters for themselves, make a living and just survive. Wellington is my home town, and I really enjoyed reading about how it looked, how it grew, the real personalities involved in its early development. Just like in The Denniston Rose, the author is terrific at describing place, the landscape, above all the weather. It's a great story. At times a bit clunky in its writing, I don't think it is as good as The Denniston Rose, which is the only other one of the author's that I have read, but it is still a good read.
It is the late 1830s, Huw Penhalligan, his wife Martha and young child live a miserable existence in a mining town in Wales. Huw has a connection to Colonel Wakefield who has set himself up as the brains behind organised settlement to New Zealand, in this case the brand new settlement of Wellington. Naturally is has all been over-hyped by Wakefield and his cronies, there not actually being any settlement at all. But like all the pioneers and early settlers, the Penhalligan's were tough, hard working and determined. The history of the settlement of NZ, as with Australia, Canada, the US, and many many other countries, is intricately tied up with the indigenous residents, in this case the Maori. The author has done a terrific job of immersing the story line with the history of the time - the various Maori tribes at war with each other, their need for muskets driving them to 'sell' their land. In the middle of all this is Hineora, a high born young Maori woman who is now a slave to the conquering tribe of Te Rauparaha. She is fortunate in that she was taught English from a whaler and this makes her very useful to the new settlers. Unsurprisingly there are complications as the two races meet, get to know each other and learn to live with each other. In the midst of all this chaos, Martha and Huw, along with the other early settlers of Wellington muddle along, trying to make some order, build shelters for themselves, make a living and just survive. Wellington is my home town, and I really enjoyed reading about how it looked, how it grew, the real personalities involved in its early development. Just like in The Denniston Rose, the author is terrific at describing place, the landscape, above all the weather. It's a great story. At times a bit clunky in its writing, I don't think it is as good as The Denniston Rose, which is the only other one of the author's that I have read, but it is still a good read.
April 10, 2023
Jenny Patrick’s gift in incorporating early New Zealand colonial history with great story telling is under-recognised in her home country. Perhaps not great literary writing but nevertheless her best books demand to be more widely read. The covers of her novels seem to promise chick-lit but the contents are more than that and this is particularly true of this novel which can be usefully compared to Monty Soutar’s “Kawai”. Both are fantastic historical accounts
which could be useful for all those who call for greater attention to New Zealand history in schools.
The founding of Wellington by the NZ company is central to this book which centres on a group of Welsh migrants and their first Maori contacts.
The migrants bring with them little but their bare hands and industry and are reliant on Maori in many ways. They also bring their political views as former Chartists. The views of the labourers are in sharp contrast to those of the gentry who have come to invest and also to improve their lives and fortunes.
All are affected by flood, famine and fire and misunderstandings with Maori.
It is a thoughtful, well-researched read.
which could be useful for all those who call for greater attention to New Zealand history in schools.
The founding of Wellington by the NZ company is central to this book which centres on a group of Welsh migrants and their first Maori contacts.
The migrants bring with them little but their bare hands and industry and are reliant on Maori in many ways. They also bring their political views as former Chartists. The views of the labourers are in sharp contrast to those of the gentry who have come to invest and also to improve their lives and fortunes.
All are affected by flood, famine and fire and misunderstandings with Maori.
It is a thoughtful, well-researched read.
March 26, 2023
Excellent book, I really enjoyed this book. Interesting perspective from the characters including Walsh settlers and a Māori wāhine about the process in which Wakefield arrived in Wellington and offered 365 pounds 11 shillings and 1 pence of goods in what he felt was the sale of the land to the NZ Company. What a scoundrel. A great story set in a historic time for Aotearoa/NZ. Helps image the times, the people and how the miss-understandings happened.
Huw, Martha, Rere, Hineroa and Te Whaiti are all interesting characters making their way in changing times.
Wideawake - tee hee fun nickname for Wakefield.
Hone had left the mission house to commune with his sulks.
"So many immigrants! Who will be checking? There'll be plenty more like us, who've run away from an unpleasant situation. "
Huw, Martha, Rere, Hineroa and Te Whaiti are all interesting characters making their way in changing times.
Wideawake - tee hee fun nickname for Wakefield.
Hone had left the mission house to commune with his sulks.
"So many immigrants! Who will be checking? There'll be plenty more like us, who've run away from an unpleasant situation. "
February 1, 2024
History viewed from the inside
This book came to my attention because my great-great-great grandparents arrived in New Zealand on the Oriental, the ship that one of this book’s protagonists arrives on. This story, told from the first-person perspective of three very different characters, paints a much more emotionally compelling picture than pure historical works, helping me to have a fresh appreciation of cultural differences, and in many ways, the plight of indigenous people under colonialism, without being heavy-handed. Vivid and compelling.
This book came to my attention because my great-great-great grandparents arrived in New Zealand on the Oriental, the ship that one of this book’s protagonists arrives on. This story, told from the first-person perspective of three very different characters, paints a much more emotionally compelling picture than pure historical works, helping me to have a fresh appreciation of cultural differences, and in many ways, the plight of indigenous people under colonialism, without being heavy-handed. Vivid and compelling.
August 30, 2022
A stunning story set in the earliest days of Wellington, NZ. The story of Welsh migrants and the interactions with other migrants, but especially with local Māori. Well researched historical novels like this are a great way for New Zealanders of all races to encounter their own history and to get a glimpse of our colonial past and the impact it had/has on tangata whenua. Highly recommended - Jenny’s best book to date.
May 29, 2023
DNF, wanted to like it but it wasn’t for me
May 16, 2024
This is a novel set around the time of the founding of Wellington, in around 1840. Jenny Pattrick has done a good job with the research here. For a Wellingtonian there is a lot to enjoy in the references to the Thorndon flats, Hutt Valley, Karori, Kāpiti Island, Porirua, etc. There is also a map of the original sale lots of the city which I studied for a long time. We see references to people or ships that have given suburbs or streets their name - Wakefield, Tory (the ship), Chaffers, Captain Mein Smith. The list at the end of the novel of the items constituting the purchase price of Wellington is fascinating - including 2lb of beads, 200 yards of calico, and of course, 120 muskets, amongst other goods. It seems puny now -costing no more than £500! This list is the primary source inspiring this story, giving one of our lead characters the means to reach New Zealand.
We have three main characters, two being working class Welsh settlers, married couple Huw and Martha Pengellin, travelling to Wellington for a better life. Huw is responsible for acquiring the sale goods for the purchase of Wellington, thus providing the context for the tale. The third character is a Muaūpoko slave woman, Hineroa, who Huw and Martha meet in Wellington. Their stories intertwine while the sale and settlement of Wellington and the Hutt Valley proceeds.
Unfortunately, other than the historical interest, the story is fairly thin and the characters somewhat flat. Hineroa's main characteristics seem to be that she is very tall, and that she has a sharp tongue, neither of which seem to have been used to any effect. The events in the story actually seem realistic - accidental deaths, rivalry and war between tribes, but several times something would happen with no consequence - for example, Martha at one point receives a letter she can't read, apparently telling her something about her sister-in-law - only for the sister-in-law to walk through the door and avoid the potential for some much needed confusion and tension.
I also found the account of the sale and purchase of Wellington for a few yards of fabric and some gunpowder to be a skim over the surface. There are hints from some of the Māori chiefs in the story that they know they are being cheated, but there is very little of how they felt about it. It's a difficult topic and understandable that we have a once-over-lightly account, but there was an opportunity for one of our characters to express their emotions on the topic.
Fundamentally I found it difficult to care for any of the characters. Huw is the most likeable, but it was difficult to see why there was any ongoing relationship between the Pengellins and Hineroa - they just seemed to be in the same place at the same time.
Overall, a creditable summary of the history of Wellington, interesting for a Wellingtonian.
We have three main characters, two being working class Welsh settlers, married couple Huw and Martha Pengellin, travelling to Wellington for a better life. Huw is responsible for acquiring the sale goods for the purchase of Wellington, thus providing the context for the tale. The third character is a Muaūpoko slave woman, Hineroa, who Huw and Martha meet in Wellington. Their stories intertwine while the sale and settlement of Wellington and the Hutt Valley proceeds.
Unfortunately, other than the historical interest, the story is fairly thin and the characters somewhat flat. Hineroa's main characteristics seem to be that she is very tall, and that she has a sharp tongue, neither of which seem to have been used to any effect. The events in the story actually seem realistic - accidental deaths, rivalry and war between tribes, but several times something would happen with no consequence - for example, Martha at one point receives a letter she can't read, apparently telling her something about her sister-in-law - only for the sister-in-law to walk through the door and avoid the potential for some much needed confusion and tension.
I also found the account of the sale and purchase of Wellington for a few yards of fabric and some gunpowder to be a skim over the surface. There are hints from some of the Māori chiefs in the story that they know they are being cheated, but there is very little of how they felt about it. It's a difficult topic and understandable that we have a once-over-lightly account, but there was an opportunity for one of our characters to express their emotions on the topic.
Fundamentally I found it difficult to care for any of the characters. Huw is the most likeable, but it was difficult to see why there was any ongoing relationship between the Pengellins and Hineroa - they just seemed to be in the same place at the same time.
Overall, a creditable summary of the history of Wellington, interesting for a Wellingtonian.
October 24, 2024
Very interesting dramatised story, through eyes of a fictitious family of poor Welsh immigrants, of the factual settlement of the Wellington area of New Zealand in 1839. Significant date to set the story as February 1840 is when the Treaty of Waitangi, the founding document between the British Crown and most (but not all) Maori iwi (tribal groups) came into force. The three POV characters, Huw Pengellin, Martha Pengellin his wife, and Hineroa, work well to tell events from their particular perspectives. Pattrick has boldly included in the story various tensions and points of conflict between different iwi and subgroups of iwi, as well as the indigenous peoples' interactions, personal and political, with the waves of incoming settlers. It is clear poverty and the class system from which many immigrants had hoped to escape still held many in its grip as they worked to create a new and better life for their families. The table at the back of the book listing the inventory of items used to purchase Wellington - roughly totalling 365 pounds in value - and by comparison the information that the NZ Company paid an allowance of 500 pounds to Colonel William Wakefield for leading the enterprise is enlightening.
October 26, 2022
Oh I love how much this book makes it clear that Pattrick thinks Wakefield was a d*ck and a complete and utter numpty.
I completely back this from my study last year when I did a NZ History paper.
The absolute chaos of the purchase of Wellington, the disaster that was settlers arriving so quickly after the purchase, the failure to utilise quality translators...
All told from the eyes of a couple of lower class tradie emigrants, and a Maori whose hapu had been destroyed in the early 1800's inter-tribal conflicts.
I completely back this from my study last year when I did a NZ History paper.
The absolute chaos of the purchase of Wellington, the disaster that was settlers arriving so quickly after the purchase, the failure to utilise quality translators...
All told from the eyes of a couple of lower class tradie emigrants, and a Maori whose hapu had been destroyed in the early 1800's inter-tribal conflicts.
May 15, 2022
I loved this book - NZ social history, myths/legends/language from Wales and Te Ao Maori, early Wellington settlement politics.
Historical figures and ships whose names are well known for the streets named after them around the city.
Light exploration of maori healing/rongoa practices - childbirth in the bush in late 1840s!!
I really enjoyed the confident integration of te reo maori into the text and exploration of the practice of cannabalism and slaves among Maori iwi was fascinating.
Historical figures and ships whose names are well known for the streets named after them around the city.
Light exploration of maori healing/rongoa practices - childbirth in the bush in late 1840s!!
I really enjoyed the confident integration of te reo maori into the text and exploration of the practice of cannabalism and slaves among Maori iwi was fascinating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2023
My family came out as immigrants in 1875, the wars were still there in the memories of the new New Zealanders and of the Maori.
The Maori were duped out of a lot of their land by English scoundrels who were greedy, having sold land to investors in England and then lying to them and the Maori to make a profit.
In my view this book should be read by everyone who has an opinion about how the Europeans and Maori were treated.
The Maori were duped out of a lot of their land by English scoundrels who were greedy, having sold land to investors in England and then lying to them and the Maori to make a profit.
In my view this book should be read by everyone who has an opinion about how the Europeans and Maori were treated.
June 17, 2023
I love that this book was set in Wales and followed the plight of a Welsh family emigrating to Wellington, NZ. I really like hearing the story from both Marth and Huw's perspectives and also Hineroa, in particular. Great to see Welsh and te reo Māori on the page.
A disturbing tale that confronts the reader with the damage the settlers did to the land and the indigenous people. A tale of colonisation, poverty, greed, and injustice. Thought the ending was a bit weak.
A disturbing tale that confronts the reader with the damage the settlers did to the land and the indigenous people. A tale of colonisation, poverty, greed, and injustice. Thought the ending was a bit weak.
June 25, 2022
I really enjoyed the historical elements in this story. It increased my understanding of the greed of the British settlers and the complete injustice of how they treated the Maori. I'm sure it was far worse than that portrayed in the story. A good read for those tentatively looking for works that address early Maori/Pakeha relationships.
Read
July 17, 2022Jenny Pattrick never disappoints. It was one of those novel where not a lot happens and you are carried along by the people and the descriptions. I also love how Pattrick has seemed to evolve and this novel has a slightly different feel, with more TeReo and, it seemed to me, a greater sense of Māoritanga. I really enjoyed it.
July 31, 2022
I enjoyed Martha and Huy’s story intertwined with Hinemoa’s but was less impressed with the historical retelling of the pioneering settlement of Wellington. It was rather dry and it felt as though Jenny Patrick had all this research material that had to be included. More human life and less historical would have made for a livelier read!
October 29, 2022
Jenny Patrick’s books are deceptively simple. This latest one about the beginnings of colonial Wellington, portrays the range of ordinary people who were involved in the colonization of the area.
She focuses on the developing, and often deliberate, misunderstandings of Maori by the key Pakeha figures in their determination to acquire land.
She focuses on the developing, and often deliberate, misunderstandings of Maori by the key Pakeha figures in their determination to acquire land.
July 18, 2022
Riveting! Maybe because it's set in Wellington - but this book was educational for me. I wish our history had been taught this way when I was at school. Easy to read, I devoured it in a couple of sessions! It made me want to go back and read Denniston Rose again too. Highly recommended.
October 2, 2022
A very New Zealand story. With amount of maori words, I was surprised there was no index for non New Zealanders.
Pattrick is very good at setting the scene of early colonisation. Often depicting how tough it was, but how much better it was that what people had left.
Pattrick is very good at setting the scene of early colonisation. Often depicting how tough it was, but how much better it was that what people had left.
Read
March 27, 2023I did not enjoy this book. Huw was the worst, and Martha and Hineroa had to suck up terrible treatment time and time again. Also, the pain and misery caused by greed on the land that I now live on hurts my heart, but that, at least, is not the author's fault.
June 6, 2023
An easy walk through early New Zealand
This is not a sophisticated novel and falls far short of the Denniston series that Pattrick became known for. It is a touch Mills and Boon. But it is an easy walk through a New Zealand that none of us have directly experienced.
This is not a sophisticated novel and falls far short of the Denniston series that Pattrick became known for. It is a touch Mills and Boon. But it is an easy walk through a New Zealand that none of us have directly experienced.
July 26, 2023
I enjoy Jenny Patrick’s books. Her stories are easy to read, well crafted with believable characters. There is also the bonus of learning some New Zealand history - in this case written from the viewpoint of the ordinary settlers at the start of the colonization of Wellington.
October 22, 2023
Interesting read about the early history of Pito One (Petone) and the initial establishment of the Lambton and Thorndon area. I had no prior knowledge of the Hutt iwi being Ngati Ati Awa - thought they were a Taranaki tribe, and had not heard of Ngati Tama.
December 17, 2024
Harbouring is a beautiful historical novel about 19th-century New Zealand that delves into the lives of settlers and Māori, capturing the connections, friendships and challenges amidst rapid societal change. A beautifully crafted and enlightening read.
June 4, 2022
Not as compelling as her previous books
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews