M E D I A R E L E A S E
12 November 2012
PATU
Tim Tipene
Hardhitting young adult novel young from awardwinning children’s author
A powerful new novel out this week will challenge teenage readers to confront issues of identity, historical truth and
life choices in contemporary New Zealand.
Patu, a first young adult novel from award-winning children’s author and counsellor Tim Tipene, tells the story of Jahnine
Byrne – a 16-year-old West Aucklander who has dropped out of school to support her mother in her fight against cancer,
helped only by an aunt (her dad is no longer around, and her elder brother has disappeared). A family legend blames
their bad luck on a patu (greenstone club) that her greatgreat- grandfather took during the New Zealand Wars. The patu’s
curse needs to be lifted, something that can happen only if the weapon is returned. But returned to where? Jahnine meets
a strange Maori boy, Andy, who out of kindness offers to help her, and with his brother and friends leads her away from
the city to try and put things right. But then everything starts to go wrong …
Patu is an honest and hard-hitting novel that answers a pressing need for Maorithemed junior fiction on New Zealand
bookshelves.
Click for big version.
Release Date: 16 November 2012 | ISBN: 978-1-877514-50-5 | RRP $29.99 236 pages
ENDS