The Whale Rider Paperback – May 1, 2003

I must be getting soft in my old age because every time Kahu’s great-grandfather pushed her away and said he didn’t want anything to do with her, it hurt my heart. The Wale Rider is really two stories: Kahu’s and her Uncle Rawiri who narrates their lives. From birth, Kahu longs for her great-grandfather’s love and attention. Because she’s a girl, however, he never has time for her. Then one day, Kahu does the thing that will prove her the future leader of her people and the one her great-grandfather has been searching for all along.Witi Ihimaera combines Maori legend and present day stories into a great read for elementary school readers. It touches on racism, misogyny and family dynamics in a way many can relate to. Three stars!

The Whangara people, a Maori tribe in New Zealand, is traditionally guided by a man. Nevertheless, this tradition is threatened when Koro's first-born great grandchild, Kahu, is a girl. Koro, leader of the tribe, is crushed by this fact, and repudiates the devoted love of Kahu and refuses to see the signs that shows she is the one.I watched the film adaptation when it came out in 2002, and I loved it. I even own the soundtrack of the film by Lisa Gerrard, which I listen now and then. After 15 years since the movie came out, I decided to read the book. I had had my doubts beforehand because some reviewers claimed that this was one of those cases where the film was better than the book, but I can honestly say that the book is worth reading. The film is visually and musically spellbinding, but the book provides the necessary background to fully appreciate the myth and legend behind it.Rawiri, the uncle, is the narrator of the story, to the point that the book seems to be about both Kahu (Paikea in the film) and Rawiri himself. Kahu's dad plays a secondary role in the book, while in the film he is an important character. There is even a chapter about Rawiri in Australia and Papua New Guinea, which was very intesting, but made me wonder why the book had taken that direction and why the story of Kahu had taken a sudden break.I would say the book is split in three parts. The slow beginning, where we read about Kahu's birth and her grandfather's reluctance to see "the signs". The interesting middle part, where we read about Maori people in Australia and Rawiri in Papua New Guinea. Finally, the passionate last chapters, where Kahu shows why she is "the one".This is my second book by Witi Ihimaera, and it will not be my last one.

The Whale Rider is definitely in my top ten list of all-time favorite books. I absolutely adore everything about it, and really do think there’s something everyone can relate to in this story. If you’ve ever felt discriminated against because of your gender, this is the book for you. If you feel like you’re losing your cultural identity in the informational age, this is the book for you. If you’ve tasted the sting of racism, this is the book for you. If you come from a dysfunctional family, or know what it’s like to love someone who doesn’t love you back, this is the book for you.Or if you’re like me, and felt like you could relate to most if not all of these topics, then you really need to read this! I felt like I could relate to the narrator, Rawiri, as he travels throughout the world to find himself. I love his relationship with Kahu, and how he and Nanny Flowers try so hard to fill the gap her negligent grandfather has left in her life. And of course Kahu’s unfailing tenacity makes her a protagonist you really want to cheer for.

I was required to read it for a class in school and I really enjoyed it. I would most definitely recommend it even just for leisure for people that enjoy reading.

Many people have seen the beautiful movie Whale Rider, but like most of them, I hadn't had a chance to read Witi Ihimaera's stunning book. I've loved Ihimaera's writing for decades now, and the smooth, lyrical story telling of his young adult novel is more proof of his mastery. Starting with the ancestor tale of an East Coast iwi, then moving forward to modern day members of the same group which is disintegrating in post-colonial New Zealand, the novel takes the voice of the Uncle, not Pai, and this unexpected perspective gives the author a lot of room to explore and evoke. I recommend this book highly to anyone wanting to read a moving novel, or to learn about Maori culture, but also to anyone interested in post-colonial indigenous writing. The underlying themes are universal and both distressing and uplifting. The book is also a lengthy exploration of changing gender roles, and questioning the roles of women in an indigenous culture is really important but often difficult. Ihimaera doesn't shy away from big questions, and it is a gift to all of us. On top of all of that, it's just a really beautiful novel, and one I'll reread often.

This is a beautifully written tale of a young girl destined to save her Maori community from disintegration; told from the point of view of her cousin who gradually comes to understand how special she really is, it is both a cautionary tale of gender bias in traditional communities and a story about the conflict between tradition and modernity. Teens will enjoy it, although it will often send them to the dictionary and to the book's helpful glossary. This is that rare book which can be enjoyed by adults and young people as well--but is especially wonderful as a gift for a girl since girl heroes are so rare. It is the sort of story which can also be read TO children. A must for anyone who loved Niki Caro's movie, but also for readers who like to learn about aboriginal communities. While "The Whale Rider" is fiction, it is suffused with Maori legend and lore. Strong female characters also include Paikea's grandmother. At the end, the writer thoughtfully includes the Maori legend in its original form.

Written in 1987, THE WHALE RIDER is a deceptively short book. Only 120 pages long, it's a richly layered story dealing with several major social issues: family relationships, gender discrimination, generational differences, racial prejudice, loss of the cultural identity of indigenous tribes, ecological conservationism and modern man's disconnection from his spiritual self.Kahu is a young Maori girl who, from the moment of her birth, had a deep connection with her great-grandfather Koro Apirana, a powerful Maori Chieftan. Custodian of his people's indigenous culture, Koro searches desperately for his successor: a boy who, for the good of all his people, will value and understand the ancient Maori traditions as much as Koro does. Kahu's uncle Rawiri, who narrates most of the story, and her great-grandmother Nanni Flowers, see in Kahu's spirit that which Koro seeks: the soul of the future Chieftan who will lead the Maoris of Whangara into the 21st century. But Kahu is a girl and, in Maori tradition, only men can perform the sacred traditions that keep the Maori people blessed of their gods and their ancestors.From the delightfully subversive feminist Nanni Flowers to good guy Rawiri who, along with a diverse group of people tried desperately to save 200 beached whales (one of the several scenes in the book which had me sobbing out loud), to the serene, compassionate and otherworldly Kahu, the story is filled with remarkable characters. These include the Old Whale, an ancient sea-creature that has survived for centuries to ensure that Kahu meets her destiny of ensuring that the sacred Maori traditions shall live on into the new century.The lyrical, almost magical, descriptions of the herd of whales' journeys through the depths of the great oceans contrast beautifully with Rawiri's simple, down-to-earth narrative. The boneless, weightless feel of the writing in the whale scenes recreate both a transcendent spiritual state and the sensation of swimming underwater. From the comical rendition of the constant bickering of Koro Apirana and his wife Nanni Flowers, to the well of emotion that has him spontaneously performing the haka to support Kahu at her school prize-giving, Rawiri's gentle perceptions of his extended Maori family reveal the deep bonds of love and culture holding them together. "Family," he says to his white friend Jeff, "is Family."Some of the Maori terms were, at times, confusing and the edition I read did not have a glossary of Maori terms, which would have been useful.This lack, however, did not detract from the lush splendour of THE WHALE RIDER, a beautiful story of hope and promise.

Book as expected

An unexpected gem with a unique combination of cultural background on Maori-tradition, (Maori) myth, modern fairy tale and many more is what „The Whale Rider“ turned out to be for me. There was not much I had knowingly perceived about New Zealand, so when a book club challenge came along to read such a small book of only 144 pages – what might I lose? And that decision was made despite some profound aversion of mine to anything getting even close to „fantasy fiction“.The story does include lots of myth along with lots of mythological elements which I rather really liked – I can go with myth, to me that has nothing to do with fantasy, I just mention as some readers might have different „no-go areas“. And 144 pages turned out to be no small task to read in this context – simply because the whole story is so rich I felt compelled to stop reading many times, literally stand back and consider. No wonder the book is often read at schools given the broad variety of tasks for interpretation on various levels. Still, even for the grown-up reader, those tasks come easily, rather force themselves upon you while reading: the story is about gender and family roles, traditions vs. modern life; cultural differences, clashes, prejudice and expectations; personal integrity and roots; family, society and individuals. The language is rich, but not hard to decipher like when the mythological founder Kahutia throws his spears which represent his live-giving sources or the heart-wrenching comment that „Under these conditions, the love which Kahu received from [her grandfather] Koro Apirana was the sort that dropped off the edge of the table, like breadcrumbs after everybody else has had a big meal.“ P 36f.There is a constant change between first-person narrator – little Kahu’s uncle telling her story – and the third person usage for the portions of myth and about the whales which, again, demands for consideration about parallels and symbols in a very tantalising way. Author Witi Ihimaera uses Maori language in abundance – the translation follows in the next sentence (I had not been sure at first, so I checked some phrases). This and the proper names force the non-Maori experienced reader to both plunge into the culture and keeps the concentration high to not get lost – so in a whole, I ended up having been given the rare experience of interpreting myself through the text without that back-to-school feeling of having been forced to do it, the immersion comes rather natural. Go with the waves! Let it be done!

TL;DR – A story of whales, mythology, history and culture. A must read.RAGDOLL RATING: Exceptional.What I thought…This is the story of Kahu and the whales. Kahu, a young Maori girl, grows up desperate to connect with her grandfather, Koro. She wants nothing more than to learn about Maori culture and win her grandfathers love and respect. But Koro will not have it. But Kahu is destined for great things, and when the great whales come, everything starts to change.I loved this book. I really don’t know what it was specifically I liked so much about it. Perhaps it was the poetic use of language, the way the Maori language was woven in with the English. Or the beautiful way the story of Paikea was told, and linked artfully into the main story. It could have been the characters, and the interplay between them. It could have been the account of how the people banded together to save a troop of whales. Or it could have been any number of other things.The point is, I read this book and I loved it. I didn’t love bits of it, I didn’t really like the ending and the rest was a bit naff. I loved all of it, from beginning to end. Something about it just spoke to me on a deeper level than just enjoying the plot. But until I can figure out why that was, I’m going to assume it had something to do with the whales.Just read it, I can’t promise you’ll like it the same way I did, but it’s certainly worth a try.___________________________________________Please note: I am in no way affiliated with the author or publishers. I bought this book with my own money for my own reasons. The opinions contained within are my own and have not been influenced by any external entity!

Written by Witi Ihimaera the iconic Maori author. The story begins with the arrival of the first ancestor from Waiiki, the original Whale Rider. But a double narrative allows for the birth of Kahu who unknowingly challenges the traditional role of males within this society. Kahu is born and " we were all looking the other way" - she loves Koro and supported by Nanny Flowers eventually proves she is the leader her koro has been waiting long years for. This is a powerful story challenging the traditional place of women not only in Maori society, for the theme reaches beyond, into the worlds where all women are seen as fitting in lower in the social hierarchy. Kahu is the Whale Rider! A great read which gives one an insight into the cultural forces operating within the Maori world. The glossary of terms makes it at times a challenge for one unfamiliar with the idea of history and myth operating within this culture. However it is a rich and fruitful read.