Savage, Deborah, Kotuku.Houghton Mifflin Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational publisher in the United States. The company's headquarters is located in Boston's Back Bay. It publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers . 291p. c2002. 0-618-04756-5. $16.00. JS This is a rather amazing novel, which is enriched by the author's knowledge of the Maori of New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. and their connection with the old whaling families of Cape Cod Cape Cod, narrow peninsula of glacial origin, 399 sq mi (1,033 sq km), SE Mass., extending 65 mi (105 km) E and N into the Atlantic Ocean. It is generally flat, with sand dunes, low hills, and numerous lakes. , Massachusetts. On the face of it, those wouldn't be topics that would immediately interest YAs; yet, as Savage tells the story dramatically in modern times, with visions of tattooed men appearing in dreams and ominous people coming to doorsteps, she will capture the attention of many readers. It takes a long while for the reader, and for the main character Wim, to understand what is happening. With the distance of the third-person narrative THIRD PERSON LIMITED The third-person narrative is narration in the third person. The participants in the narrative are understood to be distinct from the person telling the story and the person to whom, or by whom, it is read. , readers try to understand Wim, an unusual 17-year-old girl. Wim stays apart from her family, connecting mainly to an assortment of abandoned animals she rehabilitates, including horses. Her work at a stable near Provincetown, Massachusetts Provincetown is a town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census. Sometimes called "P-town", the town is known for its beaches, harbor, artists, tourist industry, and its reputation as a gay resort. takes her riding over the dunes, bird watching, hoping to stay isolated there forever. The catalyst is the coming of an elderly, senile senile /se·nile/ (se´nil) pertaining to old age; manifesting senility. se·nile adj. 1. Relating to, characteristic of, or resulting from old age. 2. aunt named Kia; Wire is fascinated that Kia shares her dark hair and skin, her ease with horses, and visions of tattooed men. A professor from New Zealand and his young niece take up residence in Wire's family cottage. Wire is ambivalent in her feelings toward these newcomers, who by the end of the story become essential in her life. Kotuku is the Maori word for the great white heron, a rare bird that appears to Wire in the marsh, a bird Wire learns about when she understands some Maori mythology. This novel becomes in the end a passionate love story and a story of life and death. It tells of the importance of one's past, of family history, of revealing family secrets that have the power to do great harm if concealed. The cover art is striking and the rich images and excellent storytelling have great appeal. Claire Rosser, KLIATT |
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