All That We Know

All That We Know by Shilo Kino is a powerful coming-of-age novel that follows the journey of Māreikura, a young Māori woman grappling with the pressures of online fame while trying to find her authentic self. Shilo Kino explores weighty and timely themes like colonisation, protest, activism, religion, and the complexities of cultural reclamation with well-written passages that are honest and humorous.

One of the most compelling relationships is between Māreikura and Chloe who meet at a Te Reo immersion course. The build up of Māreikura’s annoyance and frustration at Chloe’s presence in the Māori classroom creates real tension around cultural appropriation. Ultimately, both learn from one another, especially when they are assigned a task to connect with each other's grandmothers. Through this they slowly begin to understand one another, settling into an uneasy connection.

The deep-rooted anger, mamae and injustice Māreikura feels can be felt by many who read this. When reading this I see aspects of my own life and struggles reflected. I appreciate how Kino doesn't shy away from the truth. One of my favourite passages in the text is when she states plainly: “We are being constantly gaslighted by politicians who hold power over decisions that directly impact Māori” which seems so prevalent with this current government who feel like the gaslighting masters. This book feels wise at times and I feel young people can learn and benefit from its messages.

This is a complex novel that deals with big ideas and it could work in a classroom setting if you wanted to unpack colonisation from the perspective of a fearless and strong character. It would work well for an extended text study or work as a connection piece for Level 2 in conjunction with a poem like “Speaking Rights” by Anahera Gildea.