Fifteen year old Hemi Ratana climbs a giant kauri on the Coromandel Peninsula and discovers a human skeleton high in its branches. The skeleton is wearing a chain with a key around its neck. What does the key unlock? And what is the connection with the capture of a group of sealers by Ngai Tahu warriors on the West Coast of the South Island one hundred and sixty years before? Suggested level: secondary.
The Unknown Zone is a novel written by New Zealand author Phil Smith. It has a factual setting in New Zealand, particularly the Kaimiro Valley of the Coromandel region, in both the 19th and 20th centuries. There is a particular focus on the issue of Māori land ownership in the plot.
The novel mentions several Māori iwi (tribes), including:
Ngāi Tahu
Ngāti Hei
Ngāti Wairangi
Genre: Young Adult
