But note the vocab: “hideous”? “creature”? and the stereotypical weak white woman at the hands of a blood-thirsty savage crying “Please God! My baby!”? Really original. He shoved her off…Margaret shrieked, searing her throat, “Please God! My baby!” (pg 41) She fell on the sweating creature, clawing, drawing blood. “Margaret bent and scooped up Mary, in the next instant the baby was snatched from her arms and stuffed inside a flax sack. “The Maori filled the room, brandishing rifles and whips, a hideous tattooed four, with mouths yawning wide, tongues wagging obscenely” (pg 41) Ready? Here’s the description of the kidnapping: The Maori, out of the blue, decide that this random family, that had nothing to do with the flogging of the kid, but happen to be white and work for the governor, would be a great way to enact revenge. “There’s bound to be trouble.” dun dun duuuun.Īnd trouble there is. And, oh eff, they found out he’s a royal. Then, out of nowhere, Henry (the patriarch) mentions at dinner that they publicly flogged a Maori boy in the square that day.
The first 35 pages of the book are filled with the description of the journey over, on a boat, then establishing their life in NZ, ect. THE END.Īwesome plotline, yes? The best part is it’s based on a “true” story! well, the author thought it was true, until it got debunked as a load of bull. Hilarity ensues! Well, a court case for bigamy ensues. 16 years later, old wife and (remaining) kids show up in SF. Husband thinks family is dead, eventually moves to San Fran, finds new wife, has more kids. Maori come and kidnap wife and kids, burn down house, make them slaves. Husband gets a kick ass job in colonial New Zealand, moves wife and kids to Wellington. Quick synopsis (taken from the back and online reviews, I didn’t get past page 40 as you’ll soon see): Book takes place in the late 1800’s. You knew that book was coming home with me.
As I was scanning the pile of new releases at the local library, my eye caught a line on the back of a book called “The Wives of Henry Oades.” The paragraph ended with: “…the native Maori stage an uprising, kidnapping Margaret and her children.”
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