Set on the harsh South Island beaches of New Zealand, bound in Maori myth and entwined with Christian symbols, this provocative novel centres around an autistic child who would try the patience of a saint. The man and woman who have to cope with him are not saints: they are New Zealanders who love him, their country, and their self-respect, all passionately.
Winner of the 1985 Booker McConnell Prize.
