A literary page turner that explores the intertwined lives of three neighboring families in a
small coastal New Zealand town—a blend of Little Fires Everywhere and The Island of Missing
Trees combining domestic drama suspense indigenous folklore and the threat of extremism on
ordinary lives. Three women give birth in different countries and different decades. They
eventually become neighbors in a coastal town in Aotearoa—New Zealand. Single parent Keri has
her hands full with rambunctious four-year-old Walty and Wairere a teen with a unique gift
that allows her to connect to the world in extraordinary ways. Drawn to the waters of the
indigenous wetlands Wairere finds peace and solace communing with nature. Living next door is
Janet a sharply opinionated older white woman. New to the neighborhood is Sera her husband
and their two-year-old daughter refugees from ecological devastation. When Janet’s adult son
Conor unexpectedly arrives home sporting a fresh buzzcut and a disturbing tattoo no one
suspects just how extreme the young man has become—no one except Wairere who can feel the
danger pulsating around him. As friendship are formed prejudices too arise and discord
surfaces between the trio of households threatening to tear them apart. Their fate rests with
young Wairere. By accepting who she truly is the teenager can become the connective tissue
that unites her community and helps them forge a better future together.
