Mettle

A remarkable and impressive debut collection of poems that speak to the complexity of family, identity and the proud legacy of Maori language and culture.

The poetic visions of Mettle echo through past and present as Anne-Marie Te Whiu draws on stories from a lifetime of listening and learning about her whakapapa (Maori lineage). This exceptional collection resounds with strength - a mettle that ripples through Te Whiu`s own life and that of her ancestral family. Her graceful poems are a lens through which to look `now` straight in the face, without shame or fear, and to acknowledge that while trauma is transmitted generationally, so too are the gifts of resilience and fortitude.