I wanted to write about how the Maori people lost the language, to let it be known how it really did happen. I made a vow in my heart that one day I would tell it from every point, every pinnacle, every roof top, so that there would be no more misunderstanding. I would let people know how important it is to hold fast to your identity, because without your reo you are nothing. So begins this story, in her own words, of Mihi Edwards, known to her family and friends as Aunty Mihi. This book is her story of the early years of a Maori woman growing up in rural New Zealand.