This was an interesting read - very well-written and almost dreamlike in parts. I did find it to be a little bit confusing, despite the fact that I read it in one go. As I went through, I realized characters would pop up again and again, but with the way the "story" was written, it was hard to remember who they were in the story and what their storyline even was.

I liked the stories each as a part, but to call this a novel didn't quite fit for me, unless it was meant to be more of a magical realism novel, akin to One Hundred Years of Solitude or The Snow Child.

I think part of my issue with it feeling confusing and a bit disjointed is that I read it via ebook, not physical book. Also, since I'm so late on posting this review, I have to say that I had to switch from the ARC version to the library eBook because the formatting throughout was just too confusing in the ARC, whereas the library version was easier to read, the way it was put together.

There is also a glossary in the back of the book, which is very hard to go back and forth with on an eReader, but may have helped with some of the reading. It almost feels like one of those books that you read once just to get the words in, but then read it again and dissect it a bit, using the glossary.

Now, none of this is to say that it was a bad book - it really wasn't. The writing was beautiful and the stories had big emotion and feeling that were hard not to feel. If you're looking for a way to explore Indigenous writing a bit more, this is definitely a book that should be checked out.

Thank you to NetGalley and House of Anansi for providing me with an eCopy of this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and these thoughts are my own.

Not entirely sure I have processed all the ways this book deals with story, but I do think it's incredibly narratively interesting. I loved the hybrid imaginary setting of Aotearoa + Vancouver Island. I think this is the kind of thing that could be picked over in literature classes for years, so I am kind of disappointed I read it by myself.

Thank you to Netgalley and House of Anansi for the e-arc in exchange for my review.

Filled with haunting lyrical prose, this novel offers an enthralling exploration of indigenous families & womanhood in an alternate reality.

It was hard to follow at times on my e-reader but nevertheless its prose shined.

Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall's TAUHOU isn't a fun airplane read. This is a read that is more cerebral and academic. Discussing this text with someone is essential. Definitely postcolonial and plenty interesting, but the voice of the writing did not grab me as much I'd hoped.

Tauhou is a series of small stores from speculative modern worlds based off of Coast Salish and Māori legend. I'm not super familiar with either culture but was interested in learning more, so I was excited to read this book!

What a wonderful book! While each story does not really connect to the next one, I found that they moved fluidly from one story to the next very naturally. It didn't feel like STOP, NEXT ONE like I have felt in short story compilations. Characters do not repeat throughout the book so I found that it was very easy to enjoy the moment with each story.

There is an index of Coast Salish and Māori words used throughout the book, and I'm glad that the author used words from these languages throughout the book.

Overall, I had a lovely time reading this book and recommend it to anyone! 4 stars. Thank you to House of Anansi Press and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

"Tukua mai he kapunga oneone ki ahau hei tangi māku.
Send me a handful of soil so I may grieve over it."

Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall collection touches on some of the experiences Indigenous people encounter due to the effects of colonization and genocide against them such as mental and physical illness, domestic abuse, land neglect and pollution, and being deprived of their cultures and traditions.

Here's the list of my favorite stories:
- HE WAHINE AHAU / EHARA AHAU I TE WAHINE
- WHAEA
- THE SIGHT
- TAUHOU

I was intimidated by the speculative and genre-bending elements of this book, so I put it off for a while. I wish I hadn't! Once I got into the flow and just stopped questioning time, place, or narrative structure, I absolutely loved this book.

It is a story of colonialism, of Indigeneity, of women, of love, of identity, and of discovering and loving yourself and your place in the world, however fraught and difficult society makes it to claim that place. There is so much familial love, community love, nature love, and queer love. There is also pain, and heartbreak, and destruction, and colonialism, but we see the resilience and persistence of communities despite this.

Overall, a beautiful and original look at being Indigenous in a world of white supremacy and capitalism, and the beauty of fighting for who you are despite that.

DNF at 32%-the file is just too unreadable for me on Kobo, and should probably be uploaded and optimized as a PDF instead of coming straight from InDesign. From the tiny font size that I read though, I was intrigued by the book and will definitely be borrowing from Libby to finish what I started - hopefully that file is readable!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

“The stories are poetic, allegorical, melodramatic. I wonder which bits are true”.

Part poetry, part short story, part vignette, wholly moving, lyrical, and haunting. Tauhou explores themes of colonization, feminism, residential schools, climate change, and more in an experimental format. Loved every moment!

I’ve been looking forward to Tauhou since I first read about it, and I wasn’t disappointed- this is an audacious book, blending poetry, short stories, essays and much more. It defies the traditional, Western ideas of a book. I think you really have to let the words wash over you, rather than try to look for a narrative. This is not the book for those who need plot; there’s only the very loosest of plot here: Tauhou envisions a world in which Vancouver Island and Aotearoa New Zealand are next to one another, their peoples warring in the past, and now travel freely to share their knowledge.

This book deals with a lot: racism, residential school, loss, family…but it also does beautiful little moments, like going to get ice cream. Kids going to the beach. Memories of a camp in childhood. These parts really shone for me. I liked the book, though I think some of the pieces could have been tighter. But it was a magical read nonetheless.

Tauhou is an important fictional work looking at the impact of colonization on culture, family structure, and individuals. Told through a series of vignettes and differing perspectives, the reader can feel the longing for reconnection to culture and family. This was an interesting read about an important topic.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. The formatting and layout on my kindle was very off. It's really hard to read because when you turn the page, it seems like the beginning of the sentence is missing / words are missing. It just didn't really make sense. If I can figure out how to read this in a coherent way, I'll definitely revisit. The summary and everything about the book seemed really interesting, I just wish I could actually read it.

I wanted to enjoy this book so much. However, since each chapter is a diff story, the formatting made it so confusing. I couldn’t tell when there was a new chapter or new section within a chapter with how the book showed up on kindle so I gave up on this format. I’ll definitely be interested in a printed version later because the stories were interesting (I got 60% thru), but ultimately wished the publisher made sure the formatting was done properly for the e book.

This is such a simultaneously imaginative and grounded work; it was breathtaking to read these stories unfold in their quiet brilliance. I hope more people will read this creation of "alternate realities."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC in exchanged for an honest review!

This book is definitely intended for critical thinking and deep thought rather than just a casual read. The storytelling is by far the most unique I've read to date, being non-linear or having a definitive focal character. Instead, being centered around community, culture, and family. As for what the story is about beyond that, I am unsure. There are so many pieces and moving parts, but I found myself struggling to figure out who is who, where we are in time, where we are in setting, and more. I could feel the vision from the author, but for me it did not come to fruition. I was so busy wondering who was who and what was what that I don't think the story fully sank in.

Do I mention this to deter other potential readers? No. Only to share in complete honesty that this is not a book to breeze through like any other book.

What I liked most was the writing, the poems, and instances where nature was described. It made me wish this author would write a botanical book because I think it would be gorgeous front to back. You could tell nature and community are important to this author. The only aspects of the writing that I have any critique on was the dialogue and sentences surrounding it for being stiff and abrupt. The rest of the time, the sentences flowed so beautifully from one to the other, and in scenes that required dialogue it began to feel a bit choppy.

I also did not care much for the presentation of PCOS in the book as I found it to be a bit inaccurate, and makes me wonder if PCOS is something the author truly understands. There is a brief chapter with a character who struggles with their gender identity is diagnosed with PCOS. She does not feel comfortable being entirely considered a woman and mentions having made decisions that mean she will never have children. (So valid). What I found handled clumsily is that it is also stated that Creator has also decided she will not have children. A PCOS diagnosis does not mean a person will be unable to have children, and I think it is ignorant to suggest Creator has decided for someone that they are not meant to have children. So much is not understood/known about PCOS and this representation of it is harmful, and offensive.

Despite my criticisms, I do appreciate the book for what it is. It makes me want to learn even more about Aboriginal history, culture, and people. I also appreciated the ties to Turtle Island Indigenous culture. It shows how despite us living entirely different places, there are values and community standards we share. That was beautiful to read, and I think plenty of people will enjoy this book for its uniqueness and the mystery that comes from the unraveling of this family/community throughout the duration of it.

Wow! This book is really cool. I love how it's constructed out of short stories/vignettes/poems/pieces of writing because it makes the writing so much more ethereal. Climate change, colonialism, and generational trauma are themes explored and I think that Nuttall handles it well and the ordering of the short stories (which are sometimes jarring) help her create that feeling of relocation and upending.

an extremely interesting book of vignettes and poems, the meaning of certain sections is unfortunately lost. the changes between point of view were a bit jarring, it was always difficult to figure out who was speaking and who they were connected to. the topics of colonialism, forced relocation, climate change, sex, and gender are well written, but i do believe it would benefit from some reordering. my favorite vignette is about traditional tattooing methods, but the tattoos themselves were not described with rich imagery as i thought they would be.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Tauhou is a rare jewel, a mix of poetry and prose that educates while being beautiful. By creating a world in which Māori and Coast Salish peoples are connected, Nuttall offers a place in which to consider climate change, colonialism, and post-colonialism through artifacts and landmarks, changed patterns in the weather, and resource distribution. It's a phantasmagoria of a novel, moving in place and time, creating moments when the reader is briefly lost, then set down on solid ground again. Highly recommended reading for everyone, and especially writers seeking to create new worlds from our current one.

DNF - perhaps the intention was for the format to feel slightly disjointed in the transition. However, the actual layout of the book on my e-reader was very strange & made it difficult to read. I couldn’t change the font or the slanting of the lettering; sentences would start without any flow (I.e words were missing), etc. The content piqued my interest but I will be putting this down to revisit at a later date.

While a good story, this is a niche title that will appeal to a small audience largely due to it's writing style. For those that have an open mind and are willing to take a risk, they will probably enjoy it.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!