Manawa Toa

Book excerpt: Dive into a luscious feast of language and imagery, laced with Maori proverbs. Cowrie boards a ship bound for Mururoa Atoll during the French nuclear tests. She is in for a rough ride. As international attention is focused on the Pacific and the environment, the stakes rise. She is joined by Sahara, a young peace activist from England. But can she be trusted? Can anyone be trusted? With the rich flavours and textures of the island nations, Cathie Dunsford brings us a third novel about Cowrie. With sensuous writing and a deep knowledge of the traditions, the reader can feel the rock of the sea, taste the food, and fear the attacks on the peace flotilla.