by Sarah Lark
Until this day, there is a lack of agreement about the Hauhau movement and its prophet, Te Ua Haumene. In some sources, Te Ua is presented as a messenger of harmony, love, and peace who was construed as a leader of the revolution through no fault of his own. From my point of view, that isn’t very likely. It has been proven that Haumene preached to his warriors that they would be invulnerable to pakeha bullets and, after battles, declared that those who had fallen simply did not believe strongly enough. That means he must have purposefully sent his men into battle. It was also certainly not hidden from him that his missionaries Kereopa and Patara were carrying the shrunken heads of English soldiers with them when they went to recruit on the east coast. That’s certainly not compatible with a message of peace and love. Earlier historical resources simply refer to Haumene and his visions as insane—another indication of how dangerous prophets and visionaries can be if they aren’t taken seriously and stopped soon enough in cases of doubt.
Today, the Taranaki Wars are seen as the result of the unfair confiscation of Maori land. Since 2001, the government of New Zealand has granted more than a hundred million dollars in compensation payments to the nine affected Maori tribes.
The murder of German missionary Carl Sylvius Voelkner was precisely described in the newspapers of the time. It is quite likely that it happened exactly as I portrayed. Once again, the sources are contradictory concerning the background, especially in regard to the supposed spy activities of the missionary. The role of the competing Catholic organization, represented by the charismatic priest Joseph Garavel, is unclear. It looks as though the missionaries accused one another of spying in order to stir up the Maori population against their competitors and lure them to their own missions. Pakeha newspapers don’t seem to attribute any bad intentions to the German missionary. He actually had the reputation of being a very religious and kind but also somewhat naive person. William Fox described him as “a man of remarkable simplicity of character,” which we may interpret as too simple-minded to engineer devious intrigue.
The seditionist Kereopa was taken prisoner in 1871, and was tried for Voelkner’s murder and finally hanged for it in 1872.
I also attempted to change history as little as possible with regard to events that provided backgrounds for fictitious scenes; for example, the rowing regatta that took place for the second time in Christchurch in October 1863 was real, as was the purpose of the mission in Otaki. In Tuahiwi, near Christchurch, there really was a missionary school for Maori children. I don’t know if it was actually as strict an environment as Eru experienced in my story. Facts about Maori orphanages are very difficult to get access to. New Zealand is not particularly proud of that part of its history.
Franz’s orphanage in Otaki is pure fiction. There was probably never a comparable entity there. But Franz’s ability to count blackjack cards is not as fictional. There are actually somewhat complicated methods of calculation to increase the chances of winning. Unfortunately, I don’t understand them very well; mathematics is not one of my strengths, nor are card games. For that reason, I had to write my way out of a corner and make Franz’s photographic memory responsible for his victory.
This book also gives some insight into Maori culture and the meaning of the tribal tattoos called moko. I did my research as precisely as I could about who would be ornamented with which moko and how they were made. My beta reader Patricia Mennen, who is knowledgeable about indigenous cultures, remarked that the healing of the warriors after the tattooing process couldn’t possibly have occurred as quickly as I’ve described it. She compares it to similar techniques among the Maasai in Africa and native tribes in the Amazon. The tattooed warriors there suffer for weeks from pain and fever. However, the climate in these countries is not comparable to that of the mountains of New Zealand; in Africa and South America, serious infections are far more common. In that respect, I may have made it sound more harmless. For that reason, shamans and tribal warriors may hold something against me; but please, dear reader, don’t try to imitate the described techniques to beautify your friends.
A final remark about two of my characters: People like Fitz and Vera couldn’t just be invented by the author of a novel. The two of them are modeled on a very bizarre couple from real life, and although I’ve lost contact with them, they are surely still making the lives of those around them difficult. The Wisdom of Psychopaths by Kevin Dutton helped me tremendously to understand Fitz and Vera better and portray them more authentically. For anyone who wishes to understand more, it’s a very well-written popular science book.
Acknowledgments
THANK YOU!
“I have to go to New Zealand again . . .”
Many of my emails and telephone calls over the last few weeks ended with these words, often quite abruptly. When I am working intensely on a book, I hardly have time for anything else. Many thanks to all my friends and acquaintances who were always understanding, and especially to everyone who helped me by taking on thousands of everyday tasks in order to make it possible for me to dive into the world of my novel. Without you, Nelu and Anna Puzcas, my books would only be half as good!
Without my wonderful agent, Bastian Schlueck, Sarah Lark wouldn’t even exist. I must definitely acknowledge him and the entire Schlueck Agency team!
Special thanks, of course, to everyone who took part directly in the production process, above all my copyreader, Margit von Cossart, who this time faced the almost impossible task of researching the history of dozens of Maori tribes, and additionally had to fight with the idiosyncrasies of not only the Maori language but also the language of horses (yes, horses do squeak)!
Many thanks, too, to my editor, Melanie Bank-Schroeder, who improved the book at the last moment by restructuring sentences, and to all of my beta readers who enthusiastically offered creative criticism. And of course, nothing could have happened without all the other people at Bastei Lübbe, who turned the manuscript into a proper book with a cover, maps, and everything it needed, and helped get the book into stores by promoting and delivering it.
Many thanks, too, to all the booksellers who recommend the novel to their customers. Thanks to Christian Stuewe from the foreign rights department at Lübbe; you’re the best! At this point, my books exist in over twenty countries, and I get dizzy at the thought of how many people are glad to translate them, publish them, and bring them to so many readers in various languages. Very special thanks to my Spanish publisher, Ediciones B, whose team has offered me unparalleled support. In particular, I would like to mention publishing teams in Chile and Argentina who not only brought me closer to my readership in Latin America last year but also helped me get to know their beautiful home countries. I’m also grateful to all the dogs and horses to whom I’m allowed to give a home at my finca in Spain.
And more than anyone, I would like to thank my readers, who not only love my books but also take an enthusiastic part in my life. Many of them tell me time and again how happy they are to read my books, and I can gladly return this compliment with my whole heart: I take great joy in writing for you!
Sarah Lark
About the Author
Photo © 2011 Gonzalo Perez
Sarah Lark, born in Germany and now a resident of Spain, is a bestselling author of historical fiction, including the Fire Blossom Saga, the Sea of Freedom Trilogy, and the In the Land of the Long White Cloud Saga. She is a horse aficionado and former travel guide who has experienced many of the world’s most beautiful landscapes on horseback. Through her adventures, she has developed an enduring relationship with the places she’s visited and the people who live there. In her writing, Lark introduces readers to a New Zealand full of magic, beauty, and charm. Her ability to weave romance with history and to explore all the dark and triumphal corners of the human condition has resonated with readers worldwide.
About the Translator
Photo © 2011 Alex Maechler
Kate Northrop is a translator and lyricist who grew up in Connecticut and stu
died music and English literature in the United States and the United Kingdom. Her travels led her to the German-speaking region of Switzerland, where she’s lived with her Swiss husband and their two bilingual children since 1994. Her professional translation credits include Sarah Lark’s Fire Blossom Saga and Ines Thorn’s Island of Sylt trilogy. As a lyricist, Kate has been signed to major music labels and publishers. With more than eighteen years of experience, Kate now runs her own literary translation business, Art of Translation. Visit her at www.art-of-translation.com.