The adventures of Kimble Bent: A story of wild life in the New Zealand bush

"The Adventures of Kimble Bent: A Story of Wild Life in the New Zealand Bush" by James Cowan is a gripping true story from the early 1900s about Kimble Bent, a British soldier who abandons his post to live with the Maori during the New Zealand Wars. We get to see Bent's transformation as he escapes British army life through New Zealand's thick forests and to the Maori rebels. The story touches on themes of fitting in with different cultures, staying alive in the wild, and the tough conditions of New Zealand. Kimble runs away from his old life as a soldier because of his family history which helps him decide to leave. The book explains the stress between the British soldiers and the Maori and displays Kimble's longing for freedom and his desire to adopt the identity of the native people. His first meetings with the Maori and his shift to living within the tribe highlight the complicated issues of loyalty, a sense of community, and the raw beauty of the New Zealand wilderness.