For October, we’ll meet on zoom on Sunday, October 20 at 2 p.m., and we’ll be on zoom only until spring. We’ll be reading Michael Bennett’s terrific debut, Better the Blood. Anyone is welcome to join, just message us on facebook or email us at store (at) auntagathas.com. My review of the book:
Great debut novel introducing New Zealand detective Hana Westerman. She’s caught a series of gruesome murders which eventually become linked, and she’s caught them through her own excellent detail work at the crime scenes. Hana is a Maori, a single mother, and interestingly, an artist who likes to make drawings at crime scenes and autopsies (sometimes to the annoyance of the professionals involved). Her daughter is a rebellious 17 year old and her ex is also a police, remarried, with a new family. The author lays in this ground work of her character really nicely and without getting in the way of the story.
What truly stands out here is the Maori culture. Hana has been conflicted throughout her career, torn between duty to her job and duty to her cultural heritage. Much like the Native Americans here in the U.S., the Maoris were colonized by the British and their numbers severely depleted though oppression, disease, and violence. As Bennet illustrates throughout the book it’s a beautiful culture, connected to nature and the wholeness of the earth. Their society is not based on the rights of the individual but what is best for the community as a whole. Even the concept of “ownership” (as it comes to land, for example) is somewhat of a Western imposed concept.
There’s much to take in here. The story itself is a brutal tale of planned killings, killings which make sense in one way but in any obvious moral way are absolutely wrong. It’s a rocket propelled story, and as you read, you’re immersed in the culture, and I grew by the end to truly love and respect Hana as a character. I hope she’ll make a return appearance.