nicolaanaru's review
Ned and Katina is the true story of Ned Nathan and Katina Toraki - a couple who met during WWII when Ned - a soldier in the Māori Battalion took shelter with Katina’s family in Crete. The book is broken up into three sections - first, we learn the whakapapa, early life, and journey of Ned, which focuses heavily on the experiences of soldiers during the Second World War. Then we learn more about Katina’s family, culture, and expectations of life. Finally, we learn about Ned and Katina’s life together, settling in Aotearoa, and their contributions to their families and wider communities.
Patricia Grace was approached by the family to write their story after she had published Tū, which is set during WWII. I think Grace did a wonderful job with this book - while the story of Ned’s wartime adventures is very interesting, Grace shows restraint in weaving in anecdotes, stories, and local history from many impacted by the war - we learn not just about Ned and Katina but of conditions for the ANZACs and Greek allies in general. There are moments of heroism, but also conflict, humour, and daydreaming. This is not just a taonga for the Nathan family, but for many more.
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