Summary
|
Carefully woven into this deceptively simple tale is a rich and
engaging tapestry of universal themes and ideas — tolerance
and truth, love and friendship, courage in the face of adversity.
The delightful result is a timeless parable about race relations
and identity which seamlessly transcends age, gender and culture.
Elizabeth's true character is tested when she must choose between marching in the ceremonial parade of her dreams with a chance to personally meet the Queen and her loyalty to Hira, whose defiant insistence on maintaining and defending her home against all odds, teaches Elizabeth the importance of standing up for what she believes in.
|



The heroine is Elizabeth Wakefield, a 13-year old New Zealand girl
who lives in the quaint, and somewhat quirky town of Middleton.
With her idol, Queen Elizabeth, scheduled to make a visit, and everyone
in town, including her father, jockeying to curry favor with the
royal entourage, Elizabeth suddenly finds herself thrust into an
unlikely friendship with an old Maori woman, Hira Mata, whose house
- a sore spot with the matrons of the town
- is directly on the parade route past which the Queen will travel.






