The Whale Rider
Witi Ihimaera
Harcourt
Fiction, General Fiction/Fantasy
Themes: Cross-Genre, Diversity, Girl Power, Seafaring Stories
****+
Description
In ancient times, the great whale rider came from the land of the ancestors across the sea, the first of a long line of Maori chiefs. In those days, men still
talked with animals, and the gods of land, sea, and sky were treated with proper reverence and respect. It was a very long time ago...
In modern times, the Maori of Whangara are losing their way. They still take classes in the old lore, but the twenty-first century has little use for old gods or
ancestors who talked to whales. The line of the whale rider seems to have come to an unpromising end; young Kahu is no man, fit to wear the mantle of power, but
a girl. There is something special about her, but her grandfather Koro refuses to see it, seeking instead among the boys of the village to find a fit heir. It may
take the whale rider himself to show Koro that she is not to be so lightly brushed aside.
Review
I saw the movie before I read the book, and there are differences. The book is told from the view of the girl's uncle, and talks more of the state of the Maori
and racial tensions. Kahu is intriguing, but we never see inside her mind. The movie (which renames several characters, and turns Kahu into Pai) is narrated by the
girl herself, and is more about how ancient powers can still manifest in modern times. Koro comes across as more sympathetic in the movie, as well. For me, the movie
worked a little better, but this is still a wonderfully lyrical book with great imagery and neat characters, a glimpse into a threatened culture with ancient
roots.
(And, yes, I know the publisher does not label this one as Fantasy. I do; there's more than enough fantastic elements here.)