The Whale Rider

The Whale Rider is a 1987 book by New Zealand Maori author Witi Tame Ihimaera.

Plot

The movie's plot follows the story of twelve-year-old Pai (or Kahu, in the book), who is the only living child in the line of the tribe's chiefly succession because of the death of her twin brother and mother during childbirth. By tradition, the leader should be the first-born son--a direct patriarchal descendant of Paikea, the one who rode atop a whale from Hawaiki. However, Pai is female.

Related Topics:
Plot - Death - Childbirth - Paikea - Whale - Hawaiki

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While the plot of the book is basically the same, it pays less attention specifically to Pai/Kahu, and mainly focuses from a perspective of narration by the girl's uncle.

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