Whāngai is a tikanga developed over hundreds of years to grow strong, connected and safe whānau. Adoption is a much newer practice invented to solve two problems—caring for children whose parents can’t raise them, and finding children for adults who want to be parents. Many thousands of Māori children have grown up whāngai or adopted, but their experiences are mostly untold.

The stories in this collection are deeply personal and span almost a century. Contributors are whāngai and adopted people, their parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, and wider whānau. They tell of the importance of connections, love, acceptance, of knowing your story and the story of your whānau.

"We have a saying back home, kāore te tōtara e tū mokemoke ai - the tōtara never stands alone. Like all pepeha, it isn't just a statement about a tree, it's that people should never be alone."

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