Finding Miriama

Of Greenstone and Violins

Of Greenstone and Violins

The Spirit Remains

Lucy Chappell has already survived one great love and one great loss. Now, as the 1890s open before her, she must raise Hōhepa’s children, navigate a changing country, and welcome unlikely new alliances — including the enigmatic hairdresser Charles Patterson, whose past carries more shadows than he cares to admit.

Across the world, artist Colin Greenwood tries to rebuild his life in Eastbourne, mourning the partner he loses after their hard-won success in creating a life together, despite Victorian expectations. When Charles arrives on his doorstep with difficult questions, the Greenwood family’s tangled threads tighten once more.

Through it all, Wiremu — elder, mentor, peacemaker — becomes the steady heart of the next generation. Guided by the memory of his sister Miriama and the weight of their shared history, he prepares his son Wiri for an uncertain future. But as the world marches toward war, even Wiremu cannot shield the family from what is coming.

And in the present day, Ngaroma continues to follow the trail of her ancestors—unearthing secrets, reclaiming stories, and discovering that the past is never as distant as it seems.

From the quiet streets of Hamilton and the windswept shores of Kāwhia to the battlefields that will claim so many sons, The Spirit Remains is a sweeping tale of grief and grit, of the ties that hold whānau together across oceans and generations, and of the pounamu that carries their unbroken story forward.

Even when bloodlines fracture and histories are concealed, some bonds refuse to fade, and spirits endure.