Excerpt from the back cover: "These studies of the past are brief and easy to read, but behind them is a deep probing into what was said and written at the time, often entering fields seldom or never explored by other historians. The Kauri, deeply rooted into our soil over centuries, and the willow, now thoroughly acclimatised, symbolise our bicultural heritage over the 140 years covered by this book...."
I'm back reviewing Elsie Locke's work. Elsie wrote a history book that I have already reviewed and she also wrote various history articles for The School Journal and other publications. This is the other history book she wrote for New Zealand school children.
The Karui and the Willow is not a history spine but rather a collection of history "pieces" placed together in chronological order for children aged 11-14. The "pieces" include stories, articles, letters, poems and plays. Some "pieces" are source material and everything else has been written by Elsie Locke.
A few page examples...
The content has a social history focus. What I mean by this is, it is focused on everyday people and what they were doing during historical events. For example, Elsie doesn't focus on the politics of the first Labour Government in the late 19th Century - rather she writes about the first pensioners and what life was like for a kauri gumdigger. This book would need to be read alongside a basic New Zealand history spine so the student would have a grasp of historical events and where these stories fit in.
Another page example...
I think the book is very well put together and I enjoyed reading it. It is a large book (A4) with black and white photographs and illustrations throughout. It is 204 pages. Plenty of second-hand copies exist and you should find one in your local second-hand bookstore for about 10-15 NZD. If you do see a copy, I recommend purchasing it.