This is a book very distinctively New Zealand. An appropriate read for Maori Language week. It not only features many Maori words in common usage but also features other cultural aspects i.e. tangihanga- Maori mourning procedure when someone has died and rongoa Maori - the traditional Maori healing system. That being said the lead protagonist, Mila, is of Slavic decent. However, she lives with her mother and Maori stepfather in the Far North of New Zealand. Her grandmother believes she has inherited the gift of healing. The family is happy until a tragic accident occurs and young 7 year old Mila, along with other family members, blames herself. She carries this guilt and when another traumatic event occurs in her teenage year, the family falls apart and Mila's dreams for her future disintegrate as she escapes her rural home. Eventually she is called back and begins the process of healing her spirit and reuniting with her family.
Lauren Roche is a retired Doctor of Medicine with an interest in natural medicines. This is her first work of fiction. ( )