A novel about food, whānau, and mental illness. (Note from the blogger: Trust me- you are going to be enthralled with this book!)

Valerie reads George Eliot to get to sleep – just to take her mind off worries over her patients, her children, their father and the next family dinner. Elena is so obsessed with health, traditional food, her pregnancy and her blog she doesn’t notice that her partner, Malcolm the ethicist, is getting himself into a moral dilemma of his own making. Evie wants to save the world one chicken at a time. Meanwhile her boyfriend, Michael is on a quest to reconnect with his Māori heritage and discover his own identity. Rosa is eight years old and lost in her own fantasy world, but she’s the only one who can tell something’s not right. Crisis has the power to bring this family together, but will it be too late?

“An accomplished story of a family in crisis – Ritchie’s great skill is her ability to conjure the inner lives if her characters. Fishing For Maui is a compassionate meditation on what it means to be well”. – Sarah Jane Barnett

Purchase Links

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Fishing-Maui-Isa-Pearl-Ritchie-ebook/dp/B07DZBXSCN/

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fishing-Maui-Isa-Pearl-Ritchie-ebook/dp/B07DZBXSCN/

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/826608

The ocean features in this lyrical and poignant story. In many ways this book is like a body of water. The story moves slowly and dreamily as it rises arises and falls. We know that oceans are changeable- sometimes the waves pound and sometimes the tide moves languidly. And so it is in this book, there is drama and conflict, beauty and philosophy, but always the story the rolls on in a beautiful way.

Each chapter in this book is narrated by a different character, and there are many characters. Although most of the characters are connected by a family relationship, as the book begins their stories are very separate. But as the book moves to the conclusion, their stories come together.

Valerie is the mother of this family. They live in New Zealand. Her ex-husband and the father of the children is Maori. Elena is her older daughter. She lives with Malcom and is expecting. Elena would rather blog about her life. She blogs about traditional nutrition and some of her posts and recipes are featured in the book.

Michael is Valerie’s son. He attends “uni” and seems to be a typical young man who surfs and hangs with his buddies. His girlfriend comes and goes. He is intrigued by the Maori myths with their larger-than-life characters, sentient mountains and sacred jawbones.

Rosa is eight years old and the younger daughter. She seems older than her years. These and other characters all share their stories about dealing with life, and each story is lovely. When a crisis hits the family, they learn even more about each other. They are “brought closer by the knowledge of fragility.”

This is a book that resonated with me. Readers should be prepared for a more literary fiction-type of read. I am glad I read this special book and I recommend it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel’s Random Reads for an ARC. This is my honest review.

Jena C. Henry, October, 2018

Author Bio –

Isa Ritchie is a Wellington-based writer. She grew up as a Pākehā child in a bicultural family and Māori was her first written language. She has completed a PhD on food sovereignty in Aotearoa. She is passionate about food, wellbeing and social justice.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/isapearlritchie/

https://twitter.com/IsaPearlRitchie

https://www.instagram.com/isapearlritchie/