Fishing for Māui
A novel about food, whānau, and mental illness. 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
My review
Fishing for Maui is a beautifully written book packed full to the brim with heart, soul and love. It's overflowing with a discourse on various topics that have piqued my interest and provoked my thoughts. The book challenges ideals over religion, heritage, ethics, morality, mental health and activism to name but a few and I found myself challenging my own view points as I took the journey through the story. A book that challenges your thoughts to me, signifies something that will stay with you for many years to come as I'm finding myself discussing the topics with friends and family in order to ascertain their view points and spark debate. As well as challenging ideals this story is told from view points that span several generations taking into account heritage and culture adding in extra layers to this thought provoking book.
Valerie is finding it hard to keep in control and do what is best for her children. She is a doctor which means she should be at the forefront of medical knowledge but finds her opinions constantly being challenged by her daughter Elena who sees a stronger connection with alternative medicine and natural nutrition. Michael wants to connect to his Maori heritage but gets lost along the way and young Rosa is tackling life as any eight-year-old can by negotiating the trials and tribulations of school and learning where her place is amongst a big family.
This story is a melting pot of topics, ideals, debates, actions and consequences which takes you on a rollercoaster ride of thought. It's a challenging read that puts the mind through its paces and I feel that you will pick up a new trail of thought with each journey through the book which is a testament to the excellent writing of Isa Richie. Fishing for Maui is a beautifully written and thought provoking book that pulls you into a story that has family and love at its heart. I couldn't recommend this book enough.
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
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/
