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A review by macloo
The Bone People by Keri Hulme

4.0

Because I traveled to New Zealand in July, I wanted to read some books by New Zealand authors. This is one of the most famous novels from New Zealand, and several people urged me to read it. The style of writing didn't seem as odd or unusual to me as many reviewers have noted. Each of the three main characters has interior monologues, but for the most part these are easy to follow, especially as they are indented in the printed book. The story held my interest from the start and kept me wanting to go on.

The hardest thing to accept while reading this is
Spoilerthe terrible physical abuse inflicted on a child.
It's not hard to believe — the author makes it very believable — but it's hard to tolerate. It's upsetting. Yet I had to admire the balance between good and bad, positive and negative. The relationship between Simon, the child, and Joe, the adoptive father, is very complex, and I admire the author for telling it in a way that slowly unfurls its layers and connections.

The character of Kerewin, a 30-something woman who becomes involved in Simon and Joe's life, seems to be a alter-ego or extension of the author herself, but I don't know if that's true. She's odd and withdrawn from other people, and it's not entirely clear why, but maybe she's always been that way.

A very compelling thing about this story for me was the continual presence of modern-day Maori culture. Both Joe and Kerewin were brought up in a Maori context, although neither is purely Maori by blood (which is typical of Maori people today). They sprinkle Maori words and sentences throughout their communication (thankfully, there is an easy-to-follow glossary in the back of the book), and they make references to traditions and customs I learned about during my travels. I appreciated how the story is not overtly "a Maori story" but the adults happen to be Maori, and it's part of their relationship with each other.

By the end, Maori culture becomes a part of what redeems them all — but it's also a process of reaching out and connecting, plus embracing who you are instead of trying to fight against it.