In this new novel acclaimed Maori novelist Patricia Grace visits the often terrifying and complex world faced by men of the Maori Battalion in Italy during the Second World War. Tu is proud of his name - the Maori god of war. But for the returned soldier there's a shadow over his own war experience with the Maori Battalion in Italy. Three young men from the one family went to war, but only one returned - Tu is the sole survivor. Now, when his young niece and nephew come to him to find out what happened, Tu is brought face to face with the past. What really happened to the three brothers as the Maori Battalion fought in the hills and valleys of Italy is contained in the pages of his war journal, and this he now decides to give to his niece and nephew. Patricia Grace has drawn on the war experiences of her father and other relatives and ventured into new territory by writing about the world of war and soldiers. The result is a novel of great authenticity and high drama from one of our finest storytellers.

Accolades

Winner of Montana New Zealand Book Awards: Fiction Category 2005.
Winner of Montana New Zealand Book Awards: Deutz Medal for Fiction 2005.
Winner of Nielsen BookData New Zealand Booksellers' Choice Award 2005.