River Song

Audiences who loved the acclaimed film Whale Rider will be drawn to this poignant story of another spirited Maori girl coming into her own.

Jessye lives in two worlds, her dependable nana's Maori village and her irresponsible mom's unsettled existence in the city. Even though Jessye will miss Nana and village life terribly, she decides to give living with Mom in Aukland one more chance. Although staying in the big group house seems to be okay at first, complications arise with Mom's new boyfriend Adrian and his scheme to take loans out using Nana's land collateral. With Nana in the hospital and Mum blinded by love, Jessye must summon all her inner strength and the spiritual power of her people to safeguard Nana's Maori land.

Children's Literature

Jessye loves living along the river with her paternal grandmother, learning the Maori songs, and living a life steeped in the traditions of her Maori ancestors. Jessye's free spirited non-Maori mother hates the rural river and everything it stands for, preferring instead to live in the city where she has not yet put down roots but instead is constantly on the move in search of her rightful place in life. Most of the time, Jessye lives with her grandmother, but whenever her mother shows up to whisk her away, she goes willingly. This time, Jessye is reluctant at first to leave her grandmother, but agrees to give her mother another chance. At first, everything is fine. Her mother has found a job that she actually likes, and the people in the communal boarding house where she lives are fun to be around. Jessye enrolls in a new school, makes some good friends, and begins to feel at home with her mother in the big city. Then her mother meets Adrian, a handsome con-man who steals her heart and intends to steal Jessye's grandmother's land in order to finance a shady get-rich scheme. Jessye, knowing her mother is too smitten to see through Adrian's schemes, realizes it is up to her to protect her grandmother and her ancestral Maori land. A poignant coming of age story told in an engaging first person narrative, Jessye's story is sure to be a hit with readers everywhere. Reviewer: Pat Trattles

Belinda Hollyer grew up in rural New Zealand, where this book is set. She returns there as often as she can. She has worked as a teacher, a librarian, and a publisher. Now a full-time writer, she has written and compiled a number of distinguished books for adults and children. She splits her time between London, England, and Key West, Florida.