From the inside front flap: "A Canoe in the Mist is a true story of strange events and real people. A hundred years ago, Lillian came with her widowed mother to live in a volcanic wonderland of boiling springs, fierce geysers, and bubbling mud pools. It was (and still is) a place of great beauty and mystery. The Maori village of Te Wairoa was the gateway to the famous lake of Rotomahana with its Pink and White Terraces - two huge fairy-like staircases with pools of extraordinary treasure. But although travellers crossed the oceans to see this 'eighth wonder of the world', Lillian had no chance to go there herself until the English girl Mattie arrived on tour with her parents. The day they set off for Rotomahana some very strange things happened. An enormous wave suddenly lifted the quiet waters of Lake Tarawera, which must first be crossed in the tourist boat. And what was the mysterious canoe they saw, making for the sacred mountain where chiefs were buried, and where legend said that the demon Tama-o-hoi had been locked in a rocky cleft with threats to break out someday? Was the old sage Tuhoto right in predicting disaster? After a perfect day at the Terraces, and an interlude when Mattie went with Lillian to the Maori school and made new friends, came a night of fear and terrible destruction..."
I have already reviewed three other books by Elsie Locke. She is best known for her novel, Runaway Settlers which is the longest New Zealand children's book to remain in print!
For those who need some historical and geographical background for this book, here it is. The story is set in the small village of Te Wairoa. This is southeast of the main city of Rotorua today (about 15 minutes drive). It is situated on the edge of Lake Tarawera and you can look across the lake at the Mountain of the same name.
The area of Te Wairoa Valley (an active volcanic region) was settled by Maori and also white missionaries. Tourism had become the main source of income for both parties as visitors from all over the world came to see the famed Pink and White Terraces at the nearby Lake Rotomahana (see map above). The terraces were beautiful crystallized staircases filled with hot water, formed by geysers and their silica-rich water.
On June 10th, 1886, Mount Tarawera erupted, then Lake Rotomahana. The terraces were buried, and the nearby villages who lived on the mountain were wiped out and Te Wairoa village was all but destroyed. 120 people lost their lives. It is the biggest volcanic disaster in New Zealand's history in the last 500 years.
You can visit the Buried Village of Te Wairoa, visit the archeology sites, and read what happened on that terrible day. My family recently went there and I have a couple of photos.
Now to the story. I had high hopes for this book and wasn't disappointed!
Firstly the story was meticulously researched and presented accurately. After my visit to the Buried Village Museum, the accounts, names, and personalities matched those in the book. I am pretty sure Lillian Perham and the Hensley family were made up by the author. Other characters definitely like Joseph McRae, Sophia the Guide, Edwin Bainbridge, and the Haszard Family, existed in real life. LINK | LINK At the museum, I found the story of the Haszard family heartbreaking, and in the book, this is well told.
I did find character development was lacking. When you have a lot of history to cover, many characters, and a huge amount of action, something will give. Mattie did grow as a character - she started as a timid and lost child but found happiness in her friendship with Lillian and then strength and bravery during the volcano. I was expecting the Fazackerleys (an imaginary snobby British family) to change because of the disaster, but you never heard anything about them after the explosion. Lillian is a very likable character, but there isn't a lot of growth.
But there is a lot of action! The first few chapters set the scene introducing the characters and so forth, but they also build tension. The girls visit the Pink and White Terraces, which the author describes in great detail. There are moments that point to something coming, like the unexpectedly large wave and then the eerie ghost canoe. Later, when the volcano explodes, you can't put the book down. It's horrifying as the characters realise that the volcanic fallout can reach them, and then it becomes a battle for survival.
The ghost canoe is an important element in the story. It is also a significant part of the Tarawera Eruption. Before the eruption, tourists see a canoe cross the lake. It was filled with Maori warriors with feathers in their hair. The Maori called it a waka wairua or ghost canoe. They take it seriously and see it as a bad omen. The European tourists who also saw it (in the story) were unsure what to make of it. They thought it was real and tried to call out but they got no reply.
Both Mattie and Lillian were on the tourist boat. For Lillian, the waka wairua becomes a symbol of her struggle to live between the two worlds of Maori and Europeans. She lives with her mother but goes to school with the Maori children. She easily mixes with both people. The European adults command her to play down the sighting of the canoe, but she doesn't want to lie to her Maori classmates. She is torn between what she knows she saw and what adults expect of her. Eventually, she confides in the Maori tourist guide, Sophia who comforts them and tells them that the Lord will protect them.
Mattie's family faces the aftermath of the explosion bravely and band together with Lillian and her mother to survive the terrible circumstances. Despite all the human bravery though, there is a wonderful moment when Edwin Bainbridge (a visiting tourist) stands up in the hotel and calls everyone to prayer, encouraging them afterwards with a short sermon.
"Edwin Bainbridge now closed his diary, asked Bridget to find him a Bible, and stood forward in front of everyone.
"Fellow Christians!" he said in a strong clear voice. "We are duty-bound to preserve, if we can, the life that God has given us. But we know that we are in peril. For myself, I have not the slightest doubt before this night has ended I will stand before my Maker. Will you join me in prayer?"
A murmur went round the room. Most of them had already been praying silently and even desperately. It would feel better to pray together..."
The author has an excellent understanding of Maori culture and belief systems while also acknowledging Christianity plays a significant part in the story as well.
I found an interesting blog post from the illustrator, John Shelley, for the first edition. You will enjoy reading about his artistic process and seeing some extra illustrations.
I highly recommend this book. It is Elsie Locke and New Zealand historical fiction for children at its best. I recommend it for ages 10 and older. Parents will need to be aware because this is a natural disaster, and there are themes of grief, sadness, and death. I did not have any concerns with content or language.