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The Valley of Unlikely Acquaintances

By Terri Te Tau
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Brief Description
A remarkable debut novel that follows one close-knit Māori community and the Wairarapa forest they are fighting to restore. The Valley of Unlikely Acquaintances introduces us to Tiria, a revolutionary scientist—or so she likes to think. Her work at the whānau-led Kopuaranga Research Centre has transformed... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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A remarkable debut novel that follows one close-knit Maori community and the Wairarapa forest they are fighting to restore.

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A remarkable debut novel that follows one close-knit Māori community and the Wairarapa forest they are fighting to restore.

The Valley of Unlikely Acquaintances introduces us to Tiria, a revolutionary scientist—or so she likes to think. Her work at the whānau-led Kopuaranga Research Centre has transformed the valley's reforestation efforts. However, not everyone is convinced that genetically edited cats belong in the ngahere. While Tiria juggles disciplinary hearings and romantic field trips, her best friend Lydia is left trying to hold the hapori together.

When human remains are found in a nearby cave, the valley is drawn into speculation. What begins as an isolated discovery soon reveals unsettling ties to the 1800s, when the region's ecological devastation first began. As rumours spread and tensions escalate, Lydia and Tiria are pulled into a history that promises to redefine not only the research centre, but the future of the community and the forest they call home.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781067018917

Publisher: Spoor Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 September 2026

Country: New Zealand

Imprint: Spoor Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 195.0mm

Weight: 341g

Pages: 304

Collections

2025 Best Sellers Best Sellers at Book Hero Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Literary Fiction New Release Books New Release Fiction New Release Science Fiction & Fantasy Books New to Book Hero New Zealand and Australia Published New Zealand Fiction New Zealand Published Sci-Fi & Fantasy Terri Te Tau

About the Author

Terri Te Tau (Ngati Kahungunu, Rangitane ki Wairarapa) is a writer and artist, and the 2026 Emerging Maori Writer in Residence at the IIML, Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington. She is a member of the art collective Mataaho, whose work won the Golden Lion at the 2024 Venice Biennale. She holds a PhD in Creative Arts from Massey University, and her story "Hikoi Whetu" won the Emerging Maori Writer category of the 2024 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Award.

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