Secrets of the Land

A mysterious stranger, a grandfather she did not know existed, and shadows from the past bring a former journalist to Taranaki in New Zealand. There are strange events in the small farming community and there are secrets from 1862 when the British army fought the Taranaki Māori, to 1975 when Imogen’s grandparents arrive, fleeing trouble in Ireland. Ghosts haunt the present, while the land still holds its secrets close. Yet some secrets won’t stay hidden forever.

"What seems to be a novel about generations of a family swiftly becomes much deeper and more intriguing. Kate Mahony deftly weaves past and present, reality and the supernatural into a richly textured story of the effect of colonisation and war on communities, families and individual identity. An engrossing, wonderful read."
Catherine Robertson - Author of What You Wish For, Gabriel’s Bay, Spellbound, The Hiding Places and others

Secrets of the Land draws parallels between the domination of Ireland by the English in the 19th century and colonialism in Taranaki, New Zealand. The stories range from 1864 to 2018 through characters who fight over farming rights, past hurts and secrets, and those who try to make peace with the present. Kate Mahony is a skilled writer and blends well-researched historical facts with vibrant, believable fiction to create an engrossing novel."
Sandra Arnold, author of Soul Etchings, The Ash the Well and the Bluebell, The Bones of the Story