WINNER OF THE JANN MEDLICOTT ACORN PRIZE FOR FICTION
WINNER OF THE MITOQ BEST FIRST BOOK OF FICTION
WINNER OF THE NGAIO MARSH AWARD FOR BEST CRIME NOVEL
auē
- (verb) to cry, howl, groan, wail, bawl.
- (interjection) expression of astonishment or distress.
Taukiri was born into sorrow. Auē can be heard in the sound of the sea
he loves and hates, and in the music he draws out of the guitar that was
his father's. It spills out of the gang violence that killed his father
and sent his mother into hiding, and the shame he feels about abandoning
his eight-year-old brother to a violent home.
But Taukiri's brother, Ārama, is braver than he looks, and he has a
friend, and his friend has a dog, and the three of them together might
just be strong enough to turn back the tide of sadness.
This bestselling multi-award-winning novel is both raw and sublime,
introducing a compelling new voice in New Zealand fiction.