Author: Patricia Berwick

Published: December 2012

Publisher: Read Pacific Publishing

Format: Paperback

Pages: 358

Suitable: Secondary / Adult

The extraordinary story of the challenges for a young girl growing up in Taranaki from the 1860's to 1880's, her sufferings at the hands of an abusive father, interwoven with the unfortunate events surrounding the siege of Parihaka, and how these happenings were to impact on her life.

The symbolism she represents is that of the many young people of that time who were considered to be nobodies. They had no name that gave them status in life and they had no standing in the community. They were essentially non-persons and yet they were bright, courageous and hardworking when times allowed.

This book brings a very needed personal touch to this sad part of our nation's history. History too often is about history and not about the people who live through the times.

-Professor Emeritus Sir Ralph Love

Introducing our author:

Dr Patricia Berwick was born in Dunedin, New Zealand and currently lives in Picton. She has travelled widely throughout the world and lived and worked in NZ, Europe, USA, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the UAE and Vanuatu. Her main interest is how people can live peacefully together.

An educationalist/anthropologist, she has been involved in researching and writing much of her working life.She has published widely for government and private organisations, including the following social-historical works,A History of Tahiti and its Surrounding Islands; The Greenstone Diamond; Between Two Worlds and Power, Prejudice, Parihaka.

Power, Prejudice, Parihaka - a history of non-violent Maori land protest in New Zealand was the result of a number of years researching for Maori tribal authorities on land claim issues. While conducting this research she became aware that most people do not understand the injustices inflicted on Maori and how it affected their lives then and how it has helped to shape life as we know it in New Zealand today.

This is her first novel.