Bookclub Books:

When I opened my copy of The Whale Rider and realised that it was actually a children's book my heart sank. At the same time, as I reminded myself, we had read and very much enjoyed The Outsiders in the past, and sometimes kid's books aren't just for people under the age of 16. Unfortunately this was not true for The Whale Rider.

More familiar with his other denser, darker and more problematic novels - magical epic The Matriarch, its troubling sequel, The Dream Swimmer, and The Uncle's Story (about what it means to be Maori and gay) - I found Ihimaera's writing and themes in The Whale Rider extremely simplistic. As in many of his books, the decline of traditional Maori culture is of major importance but Ihimaera never reveals enough about their traditions, legends and society to make the reader a sense of place or to empathise with young Kahu, her family and the troubles of their tribe.

The fact that I had just spent a year in New Zealand, had read many of Ihimaera's other books and a small degree of familiarity with the Maori way of life gave the book more meaning for me. I especially loved his use of the Maori language throughout the book. But that wasn't enough to make me want to recommend this book to other adult readers - or to prevent it from being a complete flop as a bookclub choice!

If you know a young reader who would be interested in reading something a little outside the normal selection of English and American fiction for youngsters, this book and Kahu's struggle to make her place in a patriarchal society may be of more interest. For seven twenty- and thirty-somethings, however, The Whale Rider was a disappointment. If you're interested in getting a better sense of the Maori world, pick up The Bone People by Keri Hulme or, for an exploration of the European experience in New Zealand, try Maurice Shadbolt's books.

Score awarded by Bibliofemme: 2.2 out of 5

Bibliofemme reviews:
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
Dove on the Waters by Maurice Shadbolt
Monday's Warriors by Maurice Shadbolt

The Historian's reasons for picking The Whale Rider:
Sometimes it's terribly difficult to pick a book for bookclub. Another Femme is already reading it, it's impossible to find any - never mind seven - copies in Dublin's bookshops, or the book has only been released in hardback and costs an arm and a leg. But, having a year off in New Zealand means that I've had plenty of time to mull over my latest choice - Witi Ihimaera's The Whale Rider.

Having a Kiwi Boyfriend meant that I was dragged to see the film adaptation of The Whale Rider the moment that it emerged on Irish cinema screens and I thoroughly enjoyed director Niki Caro's visualisation of the book. While in NZ, I was lucky enough to be living close to the amazing Christchurch central library and read my way through most of Ihimaera's oeuvre (apart from the short stories!) - but I kept The Whale Rider aside, as I had earmarked it for bookclub from an early stage.

Ihimaera, a former diplomat, is well known in NZ as a novelist, short story writer, anthologist and even opera librettist. The first Maori writer to publish both a book of short stories and a novel, he has won numerous awards for his writing. In the seventies, during the times of the Maori renaissance when Maori started expressing themselves in a powerful way, Ihimaera emerged as a writer with Pounamu in 1972. Many of Ihimaera's books develop the idea of Maori culture including and assimilating other influences since contact with the white European colonisers or, to use the Maori word, Pakeha. His magical 1986 epic novel, The Matriarch, dramatises the Maori struggle against the loss of their sovereignty and introduces characters which reappear ten years later in a darker work, The Dream Swimmer. Relationships, both political and private, are what Ihimaera deals with in his two gay novels, Nights in the Gardens of Spain (1995) and The Uncle's Story (2000).

While Ihimaera considers English to be "profane" (in comparison to Maori which he says in "sacred" for him), it is the language that he chooses as his primary source for articulating his visions of Maori identity. In an interview with Paul Sharrad, editor of the postcolonial journal New Literatures Review and Associate Professor of English Studies at the University of Wollongong in Australia, Ihimaera makes the point that Maori is a very masculine culture, a warrior culture - and a homophobic culture - and it does not always have the terms to describe ideas he wants to express. However, like fellow Maori writer Keri Hulme in The Bone People, Ihimaera uses the vernacular in his writings and this use of Maori words - like Khaled Hosseini's use of Farsi in our last bookclub choice The Kite Runner - gives a wonderful sense of place.

What the other femmes had to say
"A simple tale with some nice moments, in the end The Whale Rider disappointed me because it had the potential to be so much more than it is. Still, I would recommend it for 8 to 12-year-old readers looking to broaden their cultural horizons." 2/5

"One of the few books I've read where the film was as good as the book. Excellent choice for children, yet a bit thin for anyone looking for that deeper insight into Mari culture. Will try this author again. " 3/5