Tangi by Witi Ihimaera stands as a powerhouse in New Zealand literature. A marker of Māori literature, of Maori life depicted in media written by Māori. It stands as a classic piece of New Zealand literature and showcases the long literary life of national icon Witi Ihimaera. Tangi is the first novel to be published by a Maori author, though it is not his first piece of work, and it won him the James Wattie Book of the Year Award in 1974.

“This is where it ends and begins. Here on the railway station, Gisborne, waiting for the train to Wellington. Here begins the first step into the future, the first step from the past. I am alone now. So long reliant on father, so long my hand in his; now myself, my own keeper, for his hand has slipped away.” Tangi is a poetic drama in prose, about a young man and his father. It is an account of death, but also an affirmation of life. Tangi describes, simply and sincerely, the Maori values placed on life; and on aroha, love and sympathy for each other.

It is a heavy read emotionally, focusing on themes of family, loss, grief, life, death, and love. The chapters flow together, shifting from past to present effortlessly, and the reflective narration ties it all together as one beautiful, lyrical prose that seeps into the very bones of the reader and nestles in their marrow. It is a heartfelt novel, a bittersweet novel, and a novel so relatable to so many you would be struggling to find someone who can’t connect with it. Death within a family is a mournful thing, but it is a universal experience we all share. Witi Ihimaera does a magnificent job of drawing out all the emotions and memories of Tama and the family, and more often than not I found myself thinking of my own experiences with family loss.

Tama is a strong, beautiful, and well-rounded character who makes Tangi the living and breathing piece of life it is. While is it about death and the loss of a loved one, it is also a celebration of their life, of the memories of the departed, and it shows how strong the family unit is, especially among Māori whānau. The community is a significant part of Māori life, and the roles of looking after one another and the family are shared across cultures, making Tama’s experience all the more relatable. Tama is a man who isn’t afraid to show his feelings, isn’t afraid to cry, and isn’t afraid to show love to his family. He is a strong man, bearing the weight of his family’s grief on his shoulders and the responsibilities of being the man of the house, like his father told him to do should he pass.

Witi Ihimaera’s ability to illustrate the contrast between rural New Zealand and Wellington, and his expert use of dialogue makes Tangi a pleasure to read. There is something so deeply linked to home for me in these chapters, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Perhaps its the way the family unit works, or the themes of community, the reo Māori used so fluently, and culture emanating through the words on the page. It all feels like pieces of growing up in Aotearoa; how my extended family lives and interacts with each other, and the way, how life is between rural New Zealand and the cities, and how connected to the land and the community ao Māori is.

Tangi is a stunning, heartbreaking, evocative, insightful read, and it is an absolute must for those wanting to learn about Māori culture, New Zealand fiction, and life growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand. I highly recommend it to all, but especially to literary fiction readers, NZ fiction fans, classic literature connoisseurs, and those who love family dramas and family reads. It is an emotional one, likely requiring tissues, but it is well worth the read. I know Tangi will hold a special place in my heart for years to come.