Author: Book Importer

Book Importer

Whanau Ii

As soon as she saw it, Miro Mananui knew what it was. An owl, its cryptic colors flaring with the dawn. Who has the owl come for? Whose name has it cried out to Miro Mananui the Matua of the village of Waituhi? In Whanau II, many lives and many stories intersect. The passionate Mattie Jones bears a horrifying secret; Tama Mananui makes the most of an arranged marriage with a woman twenty years older; Nani Paora holds the key to the past and a history filled with bloodshed; and his grandson Pene may well be the key to the future. Pita Mahana’s attempts to reinstate the past set in train events that lead to the return of the owl for its victim.

Ola

When Olamaiileoti Monroe takes her seventy-five-year-old father, Finau, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, both are caught up in a search for udnerstanding of each other and the ties that bind them. Their story unfolds on an international stage, in Samoa, New Zealand, New York, and Israel–and opposes the modern selfishness of Ola to the moral complexity of Finau.

Koala Hospital

Koala Hospital features a koala rescue center in Australia. It shows why koalas are in danger, how they come to be in the sanctuary, and the process of healing and rehabilitating koalas for return to the wild. Koala Hospital also focuses on the people who work at the rescue center and how they aid the animals.

Ihimaera

A selection by Witi Ihimaera of his best short stories from throughout his career. Beginning with A Game of Cards from his now-classic Pounamu Pounamu (1972) and finishing with Going to the Heights of Abraham, a story by a mature Witi about his relationship with his father. Included are 11 stories previously unpublished in an author’s anthology.

Potiki (Talanoa)

This compelling novel will resonate for people everywhere who find their livelihood threatened by “Dollarmen” – property speculators advocating golf courses, high rises, shopping malls, and tourist attractions. In ‘Potiki’, one community’s response to attacks on their ancestral values and symbols provides moving affirmation of the relationship between land the the people who live on it.

The Heart’s Language

How do you listen with your heart? For one small boy, the heart’s language is the only one he knows. With his heart he can speak to animals, trees, and creatures of the sea. But he cannot be understood by the people around him, even those who love him most — his mother and father. One day, when he is feeling sad and alone, he is visited by a magical blue bird. With the bird’s encouragement, the boy finds a way to make himself heard. And when his parents try to speak the boy’s language, they are finally able to express their love, and truly communicate with the shared language of the heart. This lyrical story of love and understanding will speak to anyone whose life has been touched by an exceptional child.

Blu’s Hanging

On the Hawaiian island of Molokai, life goes on for the three young Ogata children after the death of their mother and subsequent emotional withdrawal of their grief and guilt-stricken “Poppy.” The eldest at 13, Ivah is now responsible for the safety and well-being of tiny Maisie, vulnerable and mute since their mother’s passing; and for Blu, her uncontainable brother whose desperate need for love has made him vulnerable to the most insidious of relationships.

Turn Off That Light!

A little hedgehog is fast asleep when all of a sudden, the light clicks on. He is not happy about being woken. “Turn off that light!” he demands. The light switches off. And then on again. And off. And on. “Who keeps doing that?!” The hedgehog bumbles around, exasperated, in a flurry of onomatopoeia — GRRR!! OW! CRUNCH. BANG! — as his room mysteriously goes from dark to light over and over and over again.

The Wolf-Birds

In the wild winter wood, two hungry ravens fly in search of their next meal. A pack of wolves is on the hunt, too. Food is scarce, but, if they team up, the ravens and wolves just might be able to help each other. The ravens follow a pack of starving wolves on the hunt. The wolves come up empty handed – and even lose one of their own in the chase – but the ravens have better luck. The wolves hear the ravens cawing and investigate only to find an injured deer, the perfect meal! The wolves make the kill; the opportunistic ravens benefit, feasting alongside and after the wolves.