Cousins is one of Patricia Grace’s most well known novels (though she has several and a half dozen short story collections, all of which you should have a look at). Reminiscent of the work of Toni Morrison, Cousins carries an undeniable Māori essence at its core, and introduces the reader to not only life as Māori in the 20th century, but life as a New Zealander.

Makareta is the chosen one — carrying her family’s hopes. Missy is the observer — the one who accepts but has her dreams. Mata is always waiting — for life to happen as it stealthily passes by. Mata, Makareta, and Missy, three Maori cousins, once shared a magical childhood moment. Thrown together as children, they have subsequently grown apart, yet they share a connection that can never be broken. A stunning novel about tradition and change, about whānau and its struggle to survive, about the place of women in a shifting world. They have since followed separate and very different paths, yet their struggles offer insightful glimpses into the lives of contemporary New Zealand women. Patricia Grace’s keen eye records the psychological, cultural, and political circumstances that colour and circumscribe their worlds in this engaging, compassionate story.

Patricia Grace has a lovely flow and musicality to her prose. There is a soft lyricism, a rhythm beneath the dialogue that shines through in moments of isolation, and it makes each of the protagonists feel unique yet connected in a deeper way. Her ability to paint the setting as vividly as she does is a strength so profound – using sensory observation wrapped in her lyrical prose to deliver a truly enticing and immersive reading experience. but that’s not all, for Cousins is not a simple story. There is heartbreak, family conflict, loss, grief, anger, and all sorts of dark and heavy emotions threaded throughout the novel, and Patricia Grace has the power to make it strike home with a simple choice of words.

While the novel is broken up into two lots of three sections – Mata’s, Makareta’s, and Missy’s – they aren’t solely from the perspectives of these girls. Makareta’s first section, for example, contains chapters from her mother’s point of view as well as Makareta’s own chapters. These perspectives and the chapters of the girls young lives growing up and of them later in life finding each other is incredible moving, and provides conflict and many themes to relate to. Each girl’s life is different, and as they grow they become individuals shaped by their surroundings, yet wholly belonging to themselves. They become free agents, and even as life takes them in different directions, they find their ways back to each other. Cousins is a wonderful glimpse into Māori family drama fiction, with many layers and subtle details to hook you in.

Patricia Grace is an icon in the New Zealand literary space and a treasure to Aotearoa New Zealand. She has brought Māori perspective to the forefront of New Zealand literature, and her work continues to shape and impact our tamariki. I highly encourage you to pick up Cousins when you can, and if you want to see the novel brought to life, Cousins has been turned into a film. It is well worth your time reading this exceptional piece of New Zealand prose, not to mention an experience you are unlikely to forget.