Maori

by Alan Dean Foster

Paperback, 1988

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Publication

Ace (1988), Edition: 1st Printing

Description

A sweeping historical novel set in nineteenth-century New Zealand from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author. The only son of a poor British coal miner, Robert Coffin sets sail for the far ends of the Earth in search of his fortune, leaving his young bride and infant child behind in England. In the sordid and dangerous South Pacific port of Kororareka, on the sprawling island the native Maori call "the Land of the Long White Cloud," Coffin builds a successful new life as a merchant. He gains an unwavering respect for the aboriginal people and their culture, and finds comfort in the arms of his fiery Irish mistress, Mary.   But the unexpected arrival of a China-bound clipper bearing his wife, Holly, and son, Christopher, throws Coffin's world into turmoil--compounded by the ever-increasing tension between the Maori tribes and the mistrusted "pakehas" who are plundering their land. As the years of a volatile nineteenth century progress, the indomitable family of the stalwart adventurer the Maori have named "Iron Hair" will struggle, sacrifice, and endure through war, chaos, catastrophe, and change.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member delta61
This book is what you expect - white men, natives, a clash between their cultures. It is not up to par with other epics I have read. It is a sum of facts overrun by fiction. There were some interesting parts about the Maori culture but it was mainly about English settlers and greed. I found that
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most of the characters had a violent ending. When I attempted to anticipate where the story was heading, I was always on the wrong track. The story moves along at a fast pace, right up to a disaster at the end.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1988-02

Physical description

7 inches

ISBN

0441519253 / 9780441519255
Page: 0.2845 seconds