Our final book, the fourteenth in our series is Once Were Warriors, Alan Duff's harrowing vision New Zealand's indigenous people some two hundred years after the English conquest. In it, we meet Beth Heke, a Māori woman struggling to keep her family together despite the deplorable living conditions in which they exist. The book explores Māori traditions and circumstances that occur when tradition is abandoned.
In Touch with the World – Book Fourteen Book Leader
Leslie VonHolten is a writer. She’s also with Humanities Kansas, and a great spokesperson for the HPPR Radio Readers Book Club, having been involved from the beginning. Leslie’s writing interests are in the area of environmental art and culture. She said, “our land, the weather, the seasons, and even the night sky dictate the terms of our lives,” she said. “No one knows that better than people who live and work in the High Plains. That’s why I love discussing books for HPPR. Our conversations always expand my perceptions.” Leslie holds KU degrees in history, English literature, and public administration. She lives in Lawrence with her kids, dog, and her husband Tim, an elementary school art teacher.