Books I Read About New Zealand While In New Zealand

 

Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All is combination of memoir and history lesson about the intersection of Western and Maori cultures in New Zealand, written from the perspective of an American grad student who falls in love with and marries a Maori. This was a thoughtful, well-researched book, and my favorite read of the month.

Also very good was The Whale Rider, a young adult novel about a Maori girl who seeks the approval of her great grandfather, the clan chief. It weaves Maori legend with current-day challenges.

Straying from the Flock: Travels in New Zealand is a travelogue about New Zealand. The author has STRONG opinions about most people he meets, both good and bad. However, after getting used to this, I enjoyed the peeks into his food and farm-filled tour through the much wider swath of New Zealand that he was able to visit.

The Long White Cloud is a book about a family’s experiences moving to New Zealand for a year. Also some good peeks into New Zealand food and culture.