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  • Once Were Warriors

  • By: Alan Duff
  • Narrated by: Jay Laga'aia
  • Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (73 ratings)

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Once Were Warriors

By: Alan Duff
Narrated by: Jay Laga'aia
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Publisher's Summary

Once Were Warriors is Alan Duff's harrowing vision of his country's indigenous people 200 years after the English conquest. In prose that is both raw and compelling, it tells the story of Beth Heke, a Maori woman struggling to keep her family from falling apart, despite the squalor and violence of the housing projects in which they live. Conveying both the rich textures of Maori tradition and the wounds left by its absence, Once Were Warriors is a masterpiece of unblinking realism, irresistible energy, and great sorrow.
©1990 Alan Duff (P)2013 Bolinda Publishing
Fiction Historical Fiction Social Classes & Economic Disparity Warrior
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Critic Reviews

"Duff (himself the son of a Maori mother and a white father) shows amazing facility with language in the intense, fast-paced, choppy internal monologues he gives his characters.... Duff shows courage in attacking the view that assimilation is the first step out of poverty, and he does so by spinning a compelling tale." ( Kirkus Reviews)
"Alan Duff's first novel bursts upon the literary landscape with all the noise and power of a new volcano." (Michael Gifkins, New Zealand Listener)
"This is the Haka, the rage of the people who, yes, once were warriors.... A kick to the guts of New Zealand's much vaunted pride in its Maori/Pakeha race relations. A breathless, fearless debut." (Witi Ihimaera)

What listeners say about Once Were Warriors

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Profile Image for Loretta.

Once Where Worriors by Alan Duff

very different from the movie it made me cry . we are all lost weather brown white yellow .Thank you Alan Thank you Jay Laga'aia for reading to me much appreciated 😪💜

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Profile Image for Matt

Excellent

Amazing story. I’ve watched the movie prior to listening to the book but the book is by far a better way to grasp the emotional and tragic story. Very sad to listen to the despair of the characters.

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Profile Image for Farzin Golzar

Sad and beautiful

Best performance by a narrator.
The story shows you a true image of the Maori experience, that of the underprivileged, self destructive folks. Unexpectedly sad and startling storyline.

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Profile Image for LG

excellent narration

A great story told brilliantly. I was drawn in from the very beginning. Jay's narration gave this story the vibrancy and feeling it deserves. Loved it!

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Profile Image for Morgan Loomis

heartbreaking

Incredibly written, and the performance is bang on. Probably the saddest book I've ever read.

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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Fantastic book

This is a fantastic book, really enjoyed the story and narration. Very relatable to every culture.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.