The Treaty of Waitangi - dramatised and seen from a different point of view. It is 1823 and Henry and Marianne Williams are on their way to New Zealand, full of optimism in their quest to bring the Gospel of Peace to the Maori people. But the Maori, in particular Hongi Hika, are preoccupied with obeying the laws of utu and are in no mood for peacemaking. And the white settlers are even less impressed with the missionaries' presence... This lively historical novel is a compelling account of the people, events, and the forces driving them that surrounded the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.