num_pages: 192
description: Once Were Warriors is Alan Duff's harrowing vision of his country's indigenous people two hundred years after the English conquest. In prose that is both raw and compelling, it tells the story of Beth Heke, a Maori woman struggling to keep her family from falling apart, despite the squalor and violence of the housing projects in which they live. Conveying both the rich textures of Maori tradition and the wounds left by its absence, Once Were Warriors is a masterpiece of unblinking realism, irresistible energy, and great sorrow.
language: English
title: Once Were Warriors
titlecomplete: Once Were Warriors
characters: Jake Heke, Nig Heke, Grace Heke, Boogie Heke, Beth Heke
genres: Classics, Abuse, Adult Fiction, Novels, Family, Audiobook, Literature, Contemporary, 20th Century, Fiction
ratings_count: 3299
places: Auckland
series: Once Were Warriors Trilogy
awards: awardedAt: 662716800000
name: Ockham New Zealand Book Awards
category: 2nd (Goodman Fielder Wattie)
publisher: Vintage