"Some rivers should not be swum in. Some rivers hold secrets that can never be told."
Te Arepa is a headstrong Maori boy, bound to the customs and rituals of his people. When he goes goes fishing and comes upon a giant eel, he is convinced the creature is ataniwha, or water demon, and follows it. Yet what Te Arepa finds in the river is something far more sinister, something that will change his life forever.
Though fascinated with the history of his people, Te Arepa longs for more. He believes his prayers are answered when he is awarded a scholarship at Barwell's, a prestigious boarding school on the other side of the country. Leaving behind his family and their traditions, Te Arepa sets out to discover a brand world, and to see what lies beyond the tranquility of his tribal community.
When he arrives at school, Te Arepa finds the newfound freedom and everything it offers intoxicating, But to fit in he realizes that he must shed his own identity, culture, and even his name. Te Arepa comes to see that what he found in the darkness of the river that day changed him, that freedom comes with a heavy price.
