The Unsettled

‘This courageous book is an addition to a growing literature by Pākehā ‘journeying back into the map of memory’ … This small but potent book will foster different conversations about the past and its connection with the present’ — Paul Diamond

‘Knowing the truth of what happened matters for all of us. Reading The Unsettled: Small Stories of Colonisation deepens our understanding of how our past histories have shaped our present lives’ — Lyn Potter, NZ Booklovers

An absolutely brilliant book about excavating our settler pasts to recognise the truth in those narratives in terms of land theft and the structural advantages that theft enabled. Honest, compellingly written, and without hand-wringing or virtue signalling: a useful tool for anyone wanting to feel more settled with their own histories.’ — The Spinoff

‘Shaw’s willingness to ‘let emotion in’ provides an important example for those willing to grapple with their colonial inheritance. His practical suggestions for moving beyond guilt — ranging from ‘sort your attitude out’ to writing ‘family histories that include colonial context, as well as other stuff you’d rather not know about’ — offer concrete pathways forward’ — Sam Iti Prendergast, New Zealand Journal of History

Richard Shaw is a professor of politics at Massey University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. He is a regular commentator on political issues and the author of a number of academic publications about government, parliament and politics in Aotearoa New Zealand. His heart increasingly lies in the historical and emotional territories explored both in this and his 2021 book, The Forgotten Coast.