Monty Soutar is a respected New Zealand historian who took a big step and turned his life upside down to write a game changing novel. Kāwai For Such A Time As This, is the first instalment in what is to be a three book family saga, which went straight to the top of the bestseller lists in New Zealand and stayed there for 22 weeks.

Hi there, I'm your host, Jenny Wheeler. And it's quite likely no one else but Monty has the knowledge and understanding to undertake a book like it, in the tradition of Alex Haley's Roots, introducing readers to pre-European Maori life in much the same way as Alex Haley's tale of tracing his roots back to Africa captivated an international audience.

Monty tells the fascinating tale of how he came to write it and explains how all of his life experience seemed to be leading up to this point. A perfect preparation for writing a trilogy, telling a story of nation building through the eyes of its original people.

Our Giveaway for this week is Free Historical Fiction for June and Sadie’s Vow, my Book #1 in the Home At Last trilogy is included in a good range of other selections.

GET YOUR FREE HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS

Https://books.bookfunnel.com/historicalfictionfreebiesjune2023/7xpm3hb0wa (FOR IF THE BUTTON DOESN'T WORK)

And don't forget if you enjoy the podcast, leave a review. So others will find us too,

Links for Monty’s Episode:

Alex Haley Roots: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roots:_The_Saga_of_an_American_Family

NZ East Coast and Gisborne: https://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/auckland-to-wellington-east-coast-journey/

https://www.tairawhitigisborne.co.nz/

Whakatane: https://www.whakatane.com/

NZ Wars of 1860s: https://teara.govt.nz/en/new-zealand-wars#

Ngati Porou:  https://ngatiporou.com/

Ngati Awa: https://ngatiawa.iwi.nz/

Monty Soutar Nga Tamatoa: The Price of Citizenship: C Company 28 , (Maori Battalion) 1939 - 45, in the Second World War https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/5509025

Monty Soutar: Whiti Whiti Whiti, Maori in the First World War: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51092025-whitiki-whiti-whiti-e

Captain James Cook: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cook

Chinua Achebe,  Things Fall Part:  https://www.amazon.com.au/Things-Fall-apart-Chinua-Achebe/dp/0385474547

Victoria Hislop, The Island: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/922991.The_Island

The Red Tent, Anita Diamant:  https://www.amazon.com.au/Red-Tent-Novel-Tenth-anniversary/dp/0312427298

Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall: https://www.amazon.com.au/Wolf-Hall-Hilary-Mantel/dp/0312429983

The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333230-the-luminaries

Patricia Grace, Tu: https://www.penguin.co.nz/books/tu-9780143019206

Witi Ihimaera: https://www.penguin.co.nz/authors/witi-ihimaera

Where to find Monty Online

Facebook: @montysoutarauthor

Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/kawai-monty-soutar/book/9781776890309.html

Amazon.com.au: https://www.amazon.com.au/K%C4%81wai-Such-Time-As-This-ebook/dp/B0BPJNP3QC/

Introducing Kāwai author Monty Soutar

Jenny Wheeler: But now here's Monty. Hello there, Monty, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us

Dr Monty Soutar, respected historian and author of a new NZ historical series

Monty Soutar: Thank you, Jenny. I'm pleased to be beyond the show. Kia ora ki a koe. (Ed note: Greetings and Hello to you.)

Jenny Wheeler: Kia ora. (Hello Yes.) Now we've mentioned in the intro about how Roots was partly the thing that sparked this and. Alex Haley's Roots was published way back in the late seventies when you were just a wee toddler. So how did you come to be aware of it and what sort of an impact did it have on you when you were a younger boy?

Monty Soutar: Well, no, I wasn’t a toddler. I was at secondary school when I saw the series. So I never read the book. I saw the series on television. It was one of the I think it was the biggest television seri...