To Move a Mountain, A. Skjold
A young girl leaves her privileged life on the Eastern plains, with a new baby, to start over in the reclusive mountainous region of the west coast of north New Zealand. Determined to fit in to the old-fashioned, Irish-Catholic community, Ginger plans to marry her baby's accidental father. Tristan Stone, 15 years older, a teacher and bush-man believes in doing the right thing. With 5 days to the wedding, he takes two teenagers and goes bush to 'think'. First they get lost, then become entangled in a prison outbreak. All is not going to plan. Ginger struggles on in the face of mounting disasters from the missing groom, and a petulant neighbour, to her father’s unfortunate absence; even the weather conspires against her as a hurricane threatens the mountain valleys. And was it really a good idea to invite her school-girl crush, Olivia, to be bridesmaid? Particularly as Olivia is reputed to be a ‘storm caller’ and there’s one helluva storm brewing. And it seems there is unfinished business between them to be resolved. Then there’s the body in the freezer... A pain begins to grind, deep inside. Is her heart-felt cry heard in the unseen realms? Looming darkly over the valley, Mount Ahurewa with his guardian spirit rumbles as chaos rises from the deep. Away in the bush teenager Alex hears a mystic call and is challenged to take up his destiny. He alone recognises the threads that spiral between spiritual planes and reality. As Māori legend and European myth collide, Ginger finds she must choose between following her heart and doing the right thing. Sometimes it takes moving a mountain to find happiness.