Once Were Warriors

Once Were Warriors
First edition cover
AuthorAlan Duff
LanguageEnglish
PublisherTandem Press
Publication date
1990
Publication placeNew Zealand
Followed byWhat Becomes of the Broken Hearted? 

Once Were Warriors is New Zealand author Alan Duff's bestselling first novel, published in 1990. It tells the story of an urban Māori family, the Hekes, and portrays the reality of domestic violence in New Zealand. It was the basis of a 1994 film of the same title, directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Rena Owen and Temuera Morrison, which made its U.S. premiere at the Hawaii International Film Festival. The novel was followed by two sequels, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (1996) and Jake's Long Shadow (2002).