The Eel of Te Raki

To be asked to participate in a publication is an honour and I take the author's trust very seriously. To meld historic facts into a work of fiction requires judgement and consideration beyond the needs of straight fiction. I applaud the years of work culminating in this publication. - Timuaki Te Aika

When a fire in 2014 ravages a farmhouse where precious greenstone is hidden, Katarina Ti Toi wonders about its ownership - what will become of the treasure? Meanwhile, her cousin's daughter, Victoria, has a DNA test, for she believes she might be part-Māori. Could Victoria be related to the great chieftain, Te Raki, who, in 1667 carved an image of the mythical Yellow Eel on his tokotoko (walking stick)? And why is Katarina drawn to Taerutu Lagoon, where the wāhine (women) were sacrificed in the past?

Written in parallel storylines, The Eel of Te Raki makes great use of contrast and movement: contemporary vs. historical; warfare vs. communing with the gods; travel vs. mystical stillness; and difference vs. similarity, across generations as it tells the story of Kaiapohia Pā (a fortified village) in New Zealand's South Island.

Ultimately, The Eel of Te Raki is a story of human ingenuity, acceptance, transformation and wonderment which commemorates the power of history that is remembered in the land.

Barbara Petrie is a poet, novelist and editor, b New Zealand she began her career as a journalist, was published in Landfall, and later turned to entrepreneurial publishing. She has worked as a publisher's editor, teacher, and theatrical writer/performer. In Australia her poetry has been published in literary journals; she is the author of two books of poetry, Farrow Night (Island Press) and Priscilla Scales & Other Cautionary Tales [for children] (Butterfly Books). She edited William Hart-Smith: Hand to Hand: A Garnering (Butterfly Books) and five regional/national /international poetry anthologies including Kiwi & Emu, An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry by Australian and New Zealand Women (Butterfly Books) copies of which were gifted by the Australian Government to New Zealand for its sesquicentenary. Education: Rangiora High School; Bachelor of Music Degree (UWS); Te Ata Hōu: Te Puna Wānaka.'The Eel of Te Raki' follows a novel, 'The Seer's Wolf' (Bridgidada Press, 2015). She was poetry judge for the Heritage Awards, New Zealand, in 2016.She sometimes writes songs and sings with a brotherly duo.