Rewena and Rabbit Stew: The Rural Kitchen in Aotearoa, 1800–1940

‘In this beautifully illustrated book, Katie Cooper offers a fascinating and evocative account of rural history in this country told through the production, harvesting, cooking and sharing of food. Gender and labour relations are enacted in the kitchen, as is sociability, and these are underpinned by stories of rural Māori and Pākehā women labouring in support of their whānau and the family economy. Cooper shows how the kitchen was truly the heart of the rural home.’

‘Rural life has long been pivotal to New Zealand social identities, but the daily experience of it has been a neglected area of enquiry in recent times. The attention to ordinary life in the countryside is important, important too is the bicultural analysis which promises to identify differences and similarities between how Pākehā and Māori produced and consumed food in rural environments. The writing is lucid and polished.’ 

‘This book is a fantastic addition to rural history, with a compelling perspective and a fresh set of concerns about place, dwelling, and movement in and around rural spaces. The book brings both an intimacy and a vulnerability to rural life plus a strong sense of rural robustness. Visually, this is an extraordinary collection. The images themselves tell a compelling story.’

• | Author: Katie Cooper
• | Publisher: Auckland University Press
• | Publication Date: Aug 08, 2024
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781776711116
• | ISBN-10: 1776711114