In 1840, a young British seaman is washed up on the west coast of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is a pivotal time in the development of the country, and the ink on the Treaty of Waitangi is barely dry.
The New Zealand Company ships are exploring the country hoping to buy up any available land. As immigrants begin to arrive, tangata whenua and settlers alike find themselves confronted by increasingly complex decisions concerning the future of the nation.

Thomas Skinner’s story is portrayed against the backdrop of these tumultuous times, and shows something of its impact on him and his family as Wesleyan missionaries working and living with tangata whenua. Woven through the narrative are glimpses into the author’s personal pilgrimage to find her ancestor, and the heartwarming, albeit at times challenging, interface with te ao Māori.

Author, Trish Rossiter.

This book is only available from this website, any equiries for stocking this title are welcomed and to be directed to the Author via this website.

Soft cover, 178 Pages. 16 cm x 22.5 cm.

ISBN 9780473681739

Review.
Rev Dr Terry Wall (MA, BSc, STM, D Min Stud).

Each chapter has been a joy to read. Trish has a natural, easy style that engages the reader. She is an adept storyteller and a critical thinker.

Trish brings a lifetime of interest in family history to this project. I have been impressed with the way in which she has sifted through material, analysed the facts and come to careful and judicious conclusions.

The book’s value is increased by taking the social and political context of Thomas Skinner’s missionary endeavours into account. In this, Trish reveals a sensitivity that is required to write well on these subjects today.

This book deserves publication. It is timely, in that it probes the way in which one Wesleyan missionary went about his work, and helps us to appreciate the wider context. Not only is Trish contributing to family and Methodist history but also to a wider audience that will welcome her narrative and the insights that she shares.