Mission Girl

(, New edition)

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Description

When her tribe is defeated in battle, Atapo is captured and becomes a slave of her enemies. Freedom seems impossible; the penalty for runaway slaves is death. But when sickness strikes the village, Atapo is blamedand now it is even more dangerous to stay. To save her life, she escapes to the Pakeha mission station at Paihia. There, Atapo is taught to read and write, and learns of the threat to Maori by some unscrupulous settlers greedy for land. Against the backdrop of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, Atapo discovers how her education can save her tribal lands and help her reclaim her destiny as the guiding star of her people.

Reviews

The author skilfully uses Atapos story [...] to fill in many historical and domestic details of everyday life in Paihia in the months leading up to the signing of the Treaty. Around the Bookshops; Beales writing is first rate and this is a novel that will help young people understand how our nation was formed. Dominion Post; Young readers will enjoy this journal as a vivid adventure and love story. Magpies

Author Bio

Fleur Beale is a Wellington-based award-winning author. Beale was born in Inglewood, Taranaki, on the farm where her father was born. Her father was a dairy farmer, her mother was a teacher and a writer. Fleur attended Victoria University in Wellington, followed by Christchurch Teachers College, where she met her husband. Beales first stories were written for the childrens radio programme, Grandpas Place. Her first full novel, Slide the Corner, was published in 1993. Writing a novel taught her how to develop the plot and expand the characters and their intentions towards one another.