Book review, Tangi

Tangi is the first novel of Witi Ihimaera's that I've read and I found it extremely hard to read, while at the same time, I enjoyed every minute of it.  It's not a difficult read, and actually is repetitive throughout. But it has an almost hypnotic quality.  The book itself weaves two strands: the return of Tama to his home after his father's death, and Tama dealing with his father's death after it has happened.  Maybe there are even more strands in there.  I think it's this quality that makes the repetition interesting, rather than boring. It's a hugely emotional book, and made me pretty sad at times.  Not many books cause me to express such emotions.  It took me about 1 day to read, but it was worth every page.