New Zealand Historical FictionLike this list

15 items

• 1985

  a Novel

  Hoey, Dominic, 1977-

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  A vivid, engaging tale of pre-teen Obi and his dysfunctional working-class family's struggles amidst the chaos of Auckland in 1985. Read if you like: family stories, adventure, Kiwi nostalgia, detailed and lifelike settings.

• The Last Living Cannibal

  Ngarewa, Airana

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  Set in Taranaki of the 1940s, this moving narrative follows Koko, dubbed the "Last Living Cannibal," and his whānau. Read if you like: Māori experiences during the 19th and 20th century, vivid settings, witty dialogue.

• The Space Between

  Keenan, Lauren

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  On the brink of the 1860s First Taranaki War, two women’s lives unfold amid rising tensions between iwi and settlers. Read if you like: te ao Māori perspectives, women's stories, complex relationships, award-winning fiction.

• The Seasonwife

  a Novel

  England, Saige

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  A story of Aotearoa in 1832, a wild place prey to lawless men who exploited everyone and everything: flora, fauna, Māori, women and children. Read if you like: lyrical writing, brutal and harrowing stories, women's perspectives. Content warning for…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Better Place

  Daisley, Stephen, 1955-

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  Two brothers from an isolated farm in North Taranaki are torn apart through the horrors of World War II. Read if you like: strong characterisation, family dynamics, war experiences.

• Man Alone

  Mulgan, John, 1911-1945

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  After an unfortunate incident with a farm boss's wife, war veteran Johnson escapes into the bush near Gisborne during the Great Depression. Read if you like: anti-heroes, survival stories, explorations of masculinity.

• The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke

  a Novel

  Makereti, Tina, 1973-

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  Orphaned James Pōneke's quest for a sense of belonging leads him to Victorian London, where he finds family amongst the misfits and outcasts. Read if you like: gritty settings, te ao Māori perspectives, found family, identity and belonging.

• The Luminaries

  Catton, Eleanor, 1985-

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  Amongst the gold rush of the West Coast in 1866, Walter Moody finds himself caught up in an increasingly complex mystery. Read if you like: interwoven stories, murder mysteries, lush description, long reads.

• The Parihaka Woman

  Ihimaera, Witi, 1944-

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  Erenora takes it upon herself to protect her home and loved ones during the turbulent response to the Parihaka protests. Read if you like: unconventional narrative styles, moving stories, descriptive language.

• Wulf

  Clayton, Hamish, 1977-

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  An epic tale detailing the events that follow trader John Stewart's encounter with Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha in early 19th century Kapiti. Read if you like: evocative language, mythology, poetry and verse, 'Beowulf'.

• Tu

  Grace, Patricia, 1937-

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  Tu, named after the Māori god of war Tūmatauenga, is the only brother in his whanau to return from fighting in Italy for the Māori Battalion during the second World War. Read if you like: fiction based on true stories, explorations of culture,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Denniston Rose

  Pattrick, Jenny, 1936-

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  A story of survival set in the 1880s in the remote and harsh landscape of Denniston, a mining town on the West Coast. Read if you like: misfit communities, battling hardship, isolated settings, mining towns.

• Tamar

  Challinor, Deborah, 1959-

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  Orphaned 17-year-old Tamar leaves her small Cornish village for New Zealand, and begins an unlikely friendship with a brothel keeper. Read if you like: women's stories, tragedy, scandal, unconventional friendships.

• Oracles & Miracles

  a Novel

  Eldred-Grigg, Stevan, 1952-

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  In 1930s Christchurch, working class twin sisters Ginnie and Fag try to turn their poverty-stricken lives around. Read if you like: sagas, fiction based on true stories, dual perspectives, historical Christchurch.

• The Book of Secrets

  Kidman, Fiona, 1940-

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  Based on the real historical figure Norman McLeod, a Scottish preacher who led a band of immigrants to Waipu in the 19th century. Read if you like: explorations of charismatic and tyrannical leaders, generational stories, women's voices.