Whitcoulls Recommends: Kawai: Tree of Nourishment and From Here to the Great Unknown

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Kawai: Tree of Nourishment by Monty Soutar.

This is the sequel to the book Kawai: For Such a Time as This which came out two years ago, and this new one is the second in a planned trilogy. The original book was set in mid 18th century New Zealand, and the new one picks up the story in the early 19th century, a couple of generations on. The main character this time is Hine-aute, granddaughter of Kaitanga who was the legendary warrior in the first book and the story is grounded in New Zealand’s history at that time – the coming of muskets, white people, disease and a new religion. It’s a riveting read, fully immersed in the history of those years and very much brought to life.

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough.

Lisa Marie Presley had intended to write her memoir and recorded many hours of audio for the project but died before she was able to complete the book. Her daughter Riley Keough (Elvis’s granddaughter) has taken the tapes and written the book on behalf of her mother – it’s all told in the first person, using either her mother’s words or her own, and tells the story of what it was like to grow up at Graceland; of the incredibly close relationship Lisa Marie had with her father; of battling grief and demons for the rest of her life; her relationship with Danny Keough and her subsequent marriage to Michael Jackson – and much more. It’s another story about how you can have all the money in the world and still not be able to fix the things that need fixing. The book is an extraordinary labour of love and respect from Riley to her mother, with insight into what it was like to be part of the Elvis myth and legacy.

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