THE FLIGHT OF THE KERERU
GRAHAM DAVIES
NATIONAL PACIFIC PRESS, WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, 2007
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Tena nga kanohi kua tikona e Matariki
Here are the eyes affected by the Pleiades

[a Maori proverb applying to one who is wakeful at night, aware of all around]

The Flight of the Kereru is a visionary novel by Graham Davies which takes us on a huge journey of discovery - for the characters within the text and also the reader coming to the text.

Graham Davies is an author who is aware of what is happening around him, on the inner and the outer, one who is wakeful at night, who hears sounds that some others miss. He shares his awareness generously with us in The Flight of the Kereru.

From the book’s rich and evocative opening, where we are gorging on puriri berries with the kereru, we are drawn into the natural world and it is difficult to put the book down again until the end, over 600 pages later.

There are very few books which you can truly say you are drawn into in such a way. One of them was the bone people by Maori author Keri Hulme, which went on to win the coveted Booker award.

The ability to captivate the reader in an old fashioned storytelling style which combines the ancient world philosophies, Maori wisdom and contemporary life is a huge ask for any author.

But Graham Davies is up to the task because he has lived the philosophies he is including in the narrative. He has thought long and hard about the spiritual depth of life on this earth and about how people think and respond to challenges and spiritual questions.

He has had the courage to invent an alluring narrative to convey these philosophies and he ensures that the readers always be on their toes, thinking as well as reading, being willing to become involved in the process of going deeper into their own lives as well as those of the characters.

I saw this text at an earlier stage of creation and have watched its growth with fascination. National Pacific Press should be congratulated for taking a risk with a new author with a book of this length but it is to be hoped that this risk is rewarded by public reaction to the text which I suspect will be supportive and involved.

The book is beautifully produced with an artful cover, designed by Teina and Manu Smith, which suggests some of the mysteries, motifs and whakapapa latent within its pages.

The narrator, Janus, is credible and the characters, while often involved in philosophical and spiritual debates, are also very earthy. We feel their presence, share their food and ideas and become involved in their huge life journey.

It is often risky writing across cultures, but this is also utterly necessary in a country which dares to call itself bi-cultural by nature of The Treaty of Waitangi [1840] as its founding document, and multi-cultural in its response to more recent immigrants.

Graham Davies, who also has indigenous whakapapa, has traversed this often difficult territory with a sense of authenticity and skill, with an open heart and with an enquiring spirit.

I do not want to give too much of the narrative away in this review because it cannot be summed up by a synopsis of the story. This would not do justice to the careful unravelling of the text and the depth of mysteries encased within its waka huia.

But perhaps a short synopsis will give enough to entice readers to buy the book and experience its magic for themselves:

Janus Carpenter finds an object, which he calls ‘the orb’, near a forest track that unlocks the corridors to wisdom and eternity.

A spiritual entity from the Orb attaches itself to him and teaches him many secrets.

This entity has knowledge of all things except the emotional understanding of humanity.

Together, they explore the depths of human passion, fear and unworthiness.

They enter the dimensions of life after death, healing and spiritual teachings.

This book, like the bone people, is one that every reader must experience for his or her self .

The only requirement is an open mind and spirit and heart.

I suspect that those who loved the bone people will also enjoy this inner journey of discovery while going on a wild adventure with the main characters as told through the eyes of the narrator and through their own experiences.

I suspect those who disliked the bone people, who were not willing to enter such open territory of the mind and heart, will also shy away from The Flight of the Kereru.

What a terrible loss this would be.

Dr. Barbara Disley, the former Deputy Secretary at the New Zealand Ministry of Education, a very discerning reader with a vast experience of life and literature, says of The Flight of the Kereru:

“You cannot read this book and not begin to pursue at a personal level the questions it raises about values, beliefs, connections, identity, fantasy and reality.”

I could not agree more. The Flight of the Kereru is an inter-active experience that will affect every reader in a different way. It is a very brave book by a new author and it shows us that Graham Davies is a name to be watching in the future.

As the publisher’s notes on the back book cover suggest:

“Flight of the Kereru is an absorbing journey of self-discovery and intrigue that will appeal to anyone with an inerest in exploring the spiritual dimensions of humanity.”

If this is a journey that interests you, go buy this book today. I doubt you will be disappointed.

[c] Dr. Cathie Dunsford, 2008

Dr. Cathie Koa Dunsford [Nga Puhi Maori/Hawai’ian & Pakeha ancestry] is author of 22 books in print and translation in USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Turkey, including the Cowrie novel series featuring strong tangata whenua from the Pacific region http://www.spinifexpress.com.au  She is director of Dunsford Publishing Consultants, which has brought 184 new and award winning Pacific authors into print internationally: http://www.dunsfordpublishing.com She is recipient of two literary grants from Creative New Zealand Arts Council and was International Woman of the Year in Publishing in 1997. She has taught writing and publishing courses at Auckland University since 1975.  She tours the world performing from the books with traditional Maori waiata and taonga puoro. Contact: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)