Christina Thompson (1) (1959–)

There was a whole lot of information in here about those who tried to figure out the puzzle of Polynesia -- how did these people get there and how did they spread across the gigantic Pacific Ocean in tiny canoes? It was interesting but a bit dense and tedious in parts. My interest was really peaked by those who worked to replicate those voyages in order to bolster or dismiss some of the theories out there. The author did a good job of bringing it all together in the end and showing how many people throughout the centuries figured out parts of the story that, in the end, appear to be accurate.… (more)

This is a mix of memoir, travelogue, and history. The American author uses her experiences in meeting, marrying, and having a family with a Māori man as a starting point for chapters on New Zealand history and Māori culture. It’s a bit different technique but it works and I feel I learned a lot more than had it been just a book about New Zealand and Māori. The only fail is a chapter in which she describes her own genealogy, which goes so far off topic it’s jarring. It feels like it’s added in for the benefit of her kids and family and I wish she’d left it as a personal story for them, or an appendix if she was compelled to include it, or even a separate book.… (more)