In this interview I speak with author Brendan Were about his debut novel Tane’s War. It is set in two time periods – namely, The First World War and 1950s New Zealand.
In the earlier time period, Tane a young Maori man escapes trouble in New Zealand in 1914 and ends up in the trenches of France during the great war. It is in this time that he explores his sexual identity while keeping the true nature of his orientation secret.
In the later time period, 1950s New Zealand, Tane is now managing a training farm for wayward boys and encounters Briar – a confused young man just beginning to explore his own identity.
Tane’s War is a wonderful book that explores human conflict and sexuality in a very personal way.