Backbencher

Beth Heke is married to a controlling, violent, and alcoholic man named Jake who spends most of this time in the bar. Together they have five children. The second oldest boy, Boogie, gets picked up by the cops and eventually placed in a delinquent boy's home. The oldest daughter, Grace, takes care of the house and the two youngest children. I found it intersting Grace spies on the neighbors, the Tramberts, because they are wealthy and love one another, which Grace's family lacks. One night, a man enters grace's room and rapes her. She hangs herself in the Trambert's backyard. Grace leaves a note saying she was raped, but didn't know who it was and believed it to be her father. Beth kicks Jake out, even though he swears it wasn't him, and roams the streets. The oldest son, Nig, is in a gang called the Brown Fists who are all about fighting and tattoos. He gets in a fight which leads to his death. Beth begins taking children in who don't have families. Every Saturday morning the town gathers to listen to Chief Te Tupaea preach.

A strength of the book is the vast amount of detail including description of the landscape and geography of New Zealand. This is beneficial to the students of history 381. Weaknesses of the book include the high amount to profanity and domestic violence. Duff portrays the Maori women as controlled, dirty, drunks, and if I was a Maori woman I would be offended by this representation. Overall, it was an amazing book and I loved how it was different than the movie. I recommend students watch the movie as well as read the book.