Song of the Spirits (In the Land of the Long White Cloud saga)

Do yourself a favor and read the first book before you read this one, they are long both they are so worth reading. This historical series give you an idea of what life was like for the early settlers of New Zealand and their interactions with the Maoris, the original inhabitants of the island. This is a multi-generational saga and both the characters and locations are well drawn. I am looking forward to the conclusion of the series on May 20, 2014.

(NOTE): I saw some reviews for these books that said the Kindle editions were filled with errors but I think for the most part they have been corrected and I think the remaining ones are a result of the translation. I don’t think there was an English/American editor and that is the reason they Kindle editions are 4.99. I ordered the second book for my Kindle in October 2013 and did not notice numerous errors. Also, they sometimes offer one of more books in a series right before the next one is released so look for special prices, although they are well worth five dollars ($5) each.

Some of the children were getting older and going their own ways. Some had children and were rural others had musical talents and did quite a bit of traveling; there were sheepherders, salesmen, some of the women played pianos and sang at the brothels in town, etc. So this was a time for exploring, living in different towns in New Zealand, having families and settling into their own. None lived so far that when they wanted to visit family it wasn't that far for the most part. There was some abusiveness in some of the marriages that were a bit questionable as to how to handle. But it all worked out in one way or the other. This is the second book of the Trilogy and every bit as interesting. Fluffy

This is the second volume following the early immigration to New Zealand of two women, one from Wales and the other from England. Life was not easy but the women were strong. But life was complicated for both men and women as it usually is. I think the author's insight into family life and the various ways people use to solve their problems is thoughtful and creative. Perhaps these are relatives of her own. I do not know. But I have thought long and hard about my relatives all of whom homesteaded in eastern Montana. In many ways the problems cannot be terribly different except that in this story the two who immigrated were women who went there to meet husbands already arranged for. Plus there is the interweaving of interactions with the Maori which taught me more about them than I could imagine and gave me an appreciation of the ways people do and do not increase appreciation and interaction with those quite different from themselves. 5 stars

Pleasure.

I ordered all three books in the series, not realizing how many pages each book contained. The stories were not eye- grabbing. Very slow moving, & the books were too heavy to read in bed. My sister & I have both visited New Zealand & loved the islands, but I guess I was expecting more history. I would recommend ordering the Kindle versions rather than the paper book form because of the bulk of the paper editions. R.Flagg

Great trilogy.

Nice continuation of the first book

I have really liked this series. New Zealand is a wonderful place and a story bout the settlers of that country is very interesting. It may be fiction,but it is close to the real thing.

Enjoyed the story.

Perfect!