Philip Soutar died at Ypres in 1917. Before becoming a soldier, Soutar's life revolved around his farm at Whakat?ne, where he lived with his M?ori wife Kathleen Pine in an 'as-you-please marriage, uncelebrated by a clergyman'. Matters of the Heart introduces us to couples like Philip and Kathleen to unravel the long history of interracial relationships in New Zealand.