A Game of Cards by Witi Ihimaera

A Game of Cards by Witi Ihimaera Reading Response

The story starts out with the narrator (which is the grandson) finding out that his Nanny Miro is sick. So he goes to visit her and spend some time with her. Nanny Miro loves playing cards and spends most of her time playing (and cheating!) with her best friend Mrs Heta. The grandson gets a call the night that he’s been to see her, that nanny is dying. All of the family rush over to her house, so keep her company on her last night. As a way of saying goodbye, everybody plays cards throughout the house, and Nanny Miro dies laughing and playing her last game with Mrs Heta, still squabbling, and cheating with each other. Some messages in the text include, enjoy life and do what you love, which for Nanny Miro was playing cards. This is important, because as in the story, life doesn’t go on forever and you may as well spent it doing your passion, just like Nanny Miro, she died knowing she had enjoyed her life. I found this story quite touching, because the two friends would always cheat and argue with each other whilst playing cards, but it didn’t harm their friendship, it seemed as if that was what their friendship was, playing cards with arguing! The story had a little bit of a depressing ending because nanny miro dyed, yet I also thought it was a bit inspiring how Nanny Miro died doing what she loved with her best friend. It was filled with hidden messages. The first time I read it, I found it boring, but once i got deeper into the text, it had some great depth.