Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku

An incredible memoir by a trailblazing voice in women's, queer and Māori liberation movements

***Winner of the general non-fiction award at the the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2025***

 
'Remarkable. At once heartbreaking and triumphant' Patricia Grace

In the 1950s, a young Ngāhuia is fostered by a family who believe in hard work and community. Although close to her kuia, she craves more: she wants higher education and refined living. But whānau dismiss her dreams. To them, she is just a show-off, always getting into trouble, talking back and running away.

In this fiery memoir about identity and belonging, Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku describes what was possible for a restless working-class girl from the pā. After moving to Auckland for university, Ngāhuia advocates resistance as a founding member of Ngā Tamatoa and the Women's and Gay Liberation movements, becoming a critical voice in protests from Waitangi to the streets of Wellington.

'Extraordinary, vivid, riveting. I learned, I laughed and I wept over this book' Dame Fiona Kidman

'Beautifully written and fiercely honest' Deborah Challinor

'Brilliant. This timely coming-of-age memoir by an iconic activist will rouse the rebel in us all. I loved it' Tina Makereti

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