Fires Of Change - Characters

 

SPOILERS!!!

These are the characters in this novel:

- Karl Jensch emigrated to New Zealand from Germany. Karl is intelligent and resourceful. Karl left school young to earn money for his family, but he lost his family shortly afterwards.  Karl was successful in New Zealand because he had bothered learning English, and one of the surveyors hired him. Karl has always been love with Ida, but she refused to marry him because she felt she had to obey her father and marry Ottfried. When Ottfried died, Karl and Ida married, and they have a daughter in common, Mara. In this book they decided to move to the North Island. 

- Ida Jensch (formerly Lange Brandmann) emigrated to New Zealand with her father and siblings. She was engaged to Ottfriend Brandmann, but her love has always been Karl. Ida became pregnant almost at the same time as Cat, who was raped by Ottfried.  They decided that they would say that their children areweretwins. They gave birth to two daughters, Carol and Linda. It is Ida who shot Ottfried dead. Ida and Karl married eventually and have a daughter, Mara. In this book they move to the North Island.

- Cat Rata is Ida's best friend. Cat grew up in a brothel and her mother didn't care about her as she was continuously drunk. Cat escaped the brothel and the Mori adopted her. When years later the Maori asked her to leave when she helped Chris Fenroy to escape, she started working as a maid. Then she ended up as a good friend of Ida and they remained together. Cat was raped by Ida's hsuband, and she got pregnant and had a baby, who Ida and she agreed to say that they were twins. Cat loves Chris Fenroy, and they live as man and wife. Cat is declared dead when the ship where he and Chris travel with Linda and Carol sinks, but they live on a deserted island for two years, and when they are rescued, it is a surprise for everybody. Cat is pregnant when she is rescued, and at the end of the book, she gives birth to a son, Robin. 

- Christopher Fenroy is an Englishman of noble origin. As he grew up in contact with the Maori, he knows the language, and he worked as a translator for the army, and that is how he and Cat met. Chris married Jane Beit even though there was no love between them, and Jane eventually left him for the Maori chieftain. In this book he and Cat end up in a deserted island after the ship where they were travelling sank. Thakfully, they are rescued two years later, and when he learns what Jane did, he sees red and straigtaway gets things right. At the end of the book when Chris gets a proper divorce from Jane, he and Cat are to marry. They also have a baby, Robin. 

- Robin Fenroy is Cat and Chris's son

- Carol Brandman is Ida and Ottfried's daughter. Carol is engaged to Oliver Butler, but when she loses Rata station, he breaks up with her. Carol goes through hell when the Maori kidnap her and Mara. Bill Paxton eventually rescues her, and they get married at the end of the book

- Mara Jensh is Ida and Karl's daughter. She is in love with Eru, Jane's son, but she doesn't approve of the match. When Mara and her sisters are evicted from their home by Jane, Mara and Carol are kidnapped, and Mara goes through hell, which proves too much for her mental stability. Eru eventually goes to rescue her, and Mara kills his abductor. After that, Mara can't bring herself to be with Eru, but when Eru is accused of murder, Mara decides to defend him and lie. Mara is pregnant, but Eru is ready to love her child. Mara has a baby daughter, March. 

- March is Mara's baby daughter.

- Linda Fitzpatrick (formerly Brandman) is Cat and Ottfried's daughter.Even though she and Carol grew up as if they were twins, they know that they are half-sisters. When Jane takes over Rata Station, Linda agrees to marry Joe Fitzpatrick, who is nothing but a liar and a trickster. They first go to find gold in Otago, but there is nothing to be found there. Then he joins the army for some land they have promised. Linda finds out that she is pregnant, and she is shocked when her husband brings a woman with him, Vera, who he claims could be her maid. Things become more and more difficult, and when he and Vera abandon her to defend herself from the Maori. Linda leaves with her baby daughter, Aroha, and she ends up living with Franz in a missionary school for orphans, and they eventually fall in love. 

- Joe Fitpatrick (Fitz) is the man who Linda falls for and marries. Fitz proves to be a liar and a trickster. He doesn't take responsibilities seriously, and Linda suffers on account of him. The last sttaw is when he makes Linda make room for a woman, Vera, who he claims could be their maid. Fitz is a coward who leaves his wife to defend himself from the Maori, and as a consequence, he is arrested and dismissed from the army. Linda leaves him, and when Fitz finds her, he wants her back, but Franz challenges to a Blackjack game, and Fitz loses. So he signs a document accepting to divorce Linda.

- Aroha Fitzpatrick is Linda and Joe's daughter.

-Te Eriatara, Eru is Jane and Te Haitara's son. He has grown up alongside Mara, and he is in love with her. When he discovers that Jane has lied to him and taken over Rata station, he rebels against his mother and decides to turn to his cutture. He has his face completely tatttooed, and he is convinced that he needs to join the HauHau warriors and have the white settlers evicted from New Zealand. Yet, he realises that he has made a mistake when he witnesses some of the Maori murder Dr Voekner. Eru agrees to work for the army when the war is over, and he tries to find Mara. He rescues her, but the girl is a mess and does not want to be near him. Then Eru is accused of murder, and Mara realises how much he loves her and she decides to testify and even lie for him. ERu and Mara get together in the end.

- Bill Paxton met Carol when they were travelling on the General Lee and the ship sank. Bill was in love with Carol, but Carol turned down his proposal when he asked her to marry shortly after Oliver left her. It was him who found Cat and Chris alive on an island, and then he and Eru worked together to rescue Carol and Mara. Bill and Carol finally marry at the end of the book.

- Jane Te Rohi (formerly Beit) used to all the paperwork for her father, who arranged for German settlers to move to New  Zealand. Jane agreed to marry Chris Fenroy who she did not love, but then when she started helping the Maori chieftain, she fell for him. So she decided to divorce Chris and marry Te Haitara. They had a child together, Eru. When Chris and Cat are declared dead, she comes forward as Chri's heir as they are still married legally. Actually, in his birth certificate Chris is named as Eru's father. When Eru finds out that his mother has evicted Mara, Lind and Carol, he goes to join the Hau Hau warriors. When Chris turns up alive, Jane is the butt of all her fury. Jane and Te Haitara make up when they get together when Eru is arrested and accused of murder. 

- Franz Lange is Ida's youngest brother and the only one who moved to Australia. When he grew up, he decided to be ordained. His first post is in New Zealand, and before travelling to his new home, he goes to see Ida and meets all her family. From the first he feels drawn to Linda, but he tells himself it is wrong because he believes she is his niece. Franz starts off as a very strict man, but when he comes into contact with the Maori children, he changes. At the end of the book when Linda starts helping him in his orphanage, they finally get together when he learns that Linda is not actually his niece. He also forces Fitz to sign a document granting Linda a divorce. 

- Te Haitara is the chieftain who Jane falls for and eventually marries. 

- Te Ori is the HauHau warrior who enslaves Mara and Caro. He is cruel and ruthless. He wants to take Mara as a second wife. Mara is the one who kills Te Ori when Eru comes to rescue her.

- Tohu Kakahi is the chieftain of the pa where Carol and Mara are held captive. He tries to help them by sending Te Ori on expeditions, but he can't set them free.

- Captain Rawley was the seaman who starts an expedition to try to find castaways from the ship which sank. Bill Paxton works for him.

- Kahotu is the Maori who works for Franz as a translator in the home for orphans. Kahotu is a drunkard. 

- Pai is a very young Maori girl who is in the home that Franz runs.

- Fancy is Carol's dog.

- Brianna is Linda's mare.

- Amy is Linda's dog.

- Omaka Te Pura is the priestess who Linda finds in the land she and Fitz get from the army. Omaka helps her give birth, and she eventually accompanies her when she leaves Fitz.

- Vera Carrigan is the woman who Fitz brings home, saying that she will be Linda's maid. Vera is manipulative and cruel.

- Irene Sullivan is the young woman who Linda befriends in Otago. Irene has a son, Paddy. The story that she tells Linda is terrible. She came from Ireland with her family, and her father sold hersisters to the men on the ship. She escaped because she was too young. In Otago her father drank too much and didn't work, so he also sold his daughters to the gold diggers. Irene fell in love with Paddy, but her father disapproved, so he pushed another daughter to seduce Paddy. Her father and sisters left, and then Paddy. Irene finally agrees to marry Ely Oppenmeier because she wants to give her son a good life, and Oppenmeier is a good man.

- Paddy Sullivan is Irene's baby boy.

- Ely Oppenmeier is the bullion's dealer in Otago. When Linda and Fitz leave the area, Irene tells Linda that she and Ely are to marry.

- Major Thomas McDonnel leads the army unit Fitz starts in but he keeps having conflict with him.

- Colonel Herbert gives Eru a job as a interpreter when the wars end.

- Mary Carrigan is Vera's mother.

- Private Carrigan is Vera's stepfather.

- Tanati and Kepa are two Maori friends from the village that leave with Eru to join the HauHau warriors.

- Te Katonga is the tracker that helps Eru and Bill to track down Carol and Mara.

- Sir Richard Brady is the lawyer that Jane hires to defend his son at the trial.

- Hera is Te Ori's wife.

- Kereopa is a HauHau warrior

- Patara is a HauHau warrior.

- Oliver Butler was Carol's fiancé but when she lost Rata station to Jane, Oliver left her to marry another woman.

- Deborah Butler is Oliver's mother. She is a terrible snob who looks down on Carol's family.

- Georgie is the boatman. 

- Reverend Voekner is the priest who is murdered by the HauHau warriors. Voekner is the director of the mission, and Franz works with him.

- Jakob Lange is Ida's father. He used to be a blacksmith. Jakob moved to Austraila when things went wrong in Australia. In Australia he remarried, but his character did not change and in the brief moment we get to see him in this novel, he is not very loving towards Franz.

- Anna Lange is Jakob's second wife. She is kind and gives Franz Ida's address in a piece of paper. 

- Ottfried Brandman is Ida's late husband. He turned out to be a terrible person, mistreating Ida all the time, and he also raped Cat. 

- Te Konuta is Te Haitara's nephew.

- Makutu is an old healer in the Maori village.

-Laura Redwood is Cat and Ida's closest neighbour. She lives with her husband and his two brothers. 

-Edward Redwood and his brothers live close to Cat and Ida. They breed sheep.

- James Redwood is Edward's brother.

- Joseph Redwood is Laura's husband.

- Timmy Redwood is Joseph and Laura's eldest son.

- Julie Redwood is Joseph and Laura's daughter.

- William Deans is a sheep breader and he and his brother help Karl when he first buys sheep.

- John Deans is William's brother. 

- Emma and Alison Deans are William's and John's wives.

- Captain Rudyard Butler is another sheep baron and Oliver's father.

- Benny O'Rourke is the innkeeper in Bridle Path.

- Patrick Corderell is the head shepherd who worked at Rata Station for years, but Carol and Linda fire him when he refuses to obey them. Then Jane hires him again as he is one of the few people willing to work for her. 

- Jennifer Halliday is the woman who Oliver marries. 

- Paora is Franz's favourite student when he is teaching in the misionary school run by Reverend Voekner.

- Reverend Thomas Gallant is held captive with Franz when Reverend Voekner is murdered. Eru sets them free.