The book is very different from the movie, but I loved reading the book, seeing the source material in its purest form. I can understand why this is such an important book for the culture. Kahu was unwanted by her grandfather, Koro, who needs a boy to fill his role as the leader of the Māori people, but she never gives up on her people or Koro no matter how many times he says “ she’s of no use to me.” The child is wise beyond her age, almost otherworldly, and shares a sacred bound with the whales her people consider a symbol of their tribe. As she grows up, Kahu exhibits many signs of a leader that her cousin and grandma acknowledge but her grandfather steadfastly ignores up until a mass whale stranding forces him to see her for who she is. Lovely book, deeply spiritual and intense, but also about family at its heart and how hard it can be to live in a family when you don’t fit the mold . This should be a required rendering novel for middle school.