Genre
Fiction
Kurangaituku Audiobook
Whiti Hereaka
$30.00
WINNER, Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, 2022
Kurangaituku is the story of Hatupatu told from the perspective of the traditional ‘monster’, Kurangaituku, the bird woman. In the traditional story, told from the view of Hatupatu, he is out hunting and is captured by a creature that is part bird and part woman. The bird woman imprisons him in her cave in the mountains. Hatupatu eventually escapes and is pursued by Kurangaituku. He evades her when he leaps over hot springs, but Kurangaituku goes into them and dies.
In this version of the story, Kurangaituku takes us on the journey of her extraordinary life – from the birds who sang her into being, to the arrival of the Song Makers and the change they brought to her world, and her life with Hatupatu and her death. Through the eyes of Kurangaituku, we come to see how being with Hatupatu changed Kurangaituku, emotionally and in her thoughts and actions, and how devastating his betrayal of her was.
Narrated by: Whiti Hereaka
Length: 13hrs 32min
“I was secretly hoping for a work that was audacious and broke the mould and that's exactly what we got with Kurangaituku.” – Rob Kidd, Convening Judge of Ockham Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction 2022
“Hereaka’s skill lies not only in being an excellent storyteller but also in crafting characters who leap off the page, hold you down and insist that you listen to them.” – Jackie Lee Morrison, Reading Room
“It is a very strong indication of the pioneering spirit that Hereaka has with her writing and challenges the status quo of a lot of things in our society, including giving a voice to the voiceless.” – Chris Reed, NZ Booklover
Language
English
ISBN (Audio Book)
9781775509219