Praise

‘a novel of real complexity and power, in which care and connection are centred, and the interwoven nature of belonging, place and ecology is brought alive in affecting and productive new ways’ – The Saturday Paper

‘The Mires has a modest flourish of magical realism, but it’s the unflinching attention to reality that grabs you. Makereti has a gift for portraying immense social problems through the human dimensions of domestic life.’ – The Age

‘The Mires clearly speaks to how connection and understanding can be a powerful force for change; in recognising the things that bind us, represented by the powerful, watery flow underpinning the book, we are forced to see just how intimately connected we all are.’ – The Spinoff

‘The Mires is about the monsters we’ve created and the power we have to stop them. A truly magnificent novel.’ – Shankari Chandran, author of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens

‘a masterclass in social realism with just a touch of magic ... The Mires grips the reader’s attention and holds it right to the end’ – Books+Publishing

‘a courageous book that shines a light on the darkest human behaviour and shows how the best of humanity can emerge from devastation, and triumph over hatred and violence’ – Artshub

‘Gripping and masterful, wise and compassionate, The Mires is rich with insight into contemporary Aotearoa, its past and its potential futures.’ – The Post

‘As both a writer and a refugee, this book resonates with my experiences, skilfully addressing the link between refugee lives, colonialism and climate change.’ – Behrouz Boochani, author of No Friend but the Mountains

‘An immersive, unnerving novel about the hatred that can rise up out of the locked, curtained rooms in our neighbourhoods, and the comfort that can be found in another’s home. A story about people and the land they share. The memories stored in the water and peat. I read this book with equal measures of worry and hope.’ – Becky Manawatu, author of Auë

‘The Mires is an enchanting novel: poignant, earnest and lyrical, this story will settle in your bones.’ – Maxine Beneba Clarke, author of The Hate Race

‘The Mires is a work of art. The impacts of colonisation, movement, and climate change cut to the bone in glittering prose and through characters kept close as neighbours. In The Mires, the environment speaks, culture transcends boundaries and the myriad ideas of home are bitterly defended. Only Tina Makereti could hold a reader in such tense tenderness.’ – Laura Jean McKay, author of The Animals in That Country

‘specific and textured: Makereti is strong on both domestic spaces and the natural world’ – NZ Listener

‘A generous, openhearted novel which explores suburban love, hate, migration, climate change, prejudice, motherhood and the dangers lurking beneath the surface of New Zealand society ... effortlessly put together’ – Waiheke Weekender

‘It’s such a joy to read a novel that’s rich in ideas, themes and metaphor while being completely revelatory of people’s lives and the things, the voices and the knowledge, good, bad or indifferent that they carry in their hearts.‘ – The Newsroom

‘a homage to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of community’ – NZ Booklovers

‘Makereti gives us a story of tension and tenderness, of magic and meaning, steeped in grace, and timeless wisdom.’ – Kete Books