Getting Some but Not in Your Own BackyardĬélestine Vaite on why Pito’s voice had to be heard Visit our Web site at First eBook Edition: June 2007 Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Music to Accompany Lauren Beukes' near-future Sout.Copyright © 2006 by Célestine Hitiura VaiteĪll rights reserved.Recommended album: Tahiti, Belle Epoque - Tahitian Favorites

This was a book I enjoyed but probably wouldn't read again. They know what they're in for in this world of miseries.' 'It's more painful to push girls into the world because they don't want to be born. 'Girls hurt their mother from the day they come into the world.'

Some examples just from the pages where she is giving birth: Older women often give Materena advice (sometimes requested) on how to raise Leilani. The book traces the theme of mothers and daughters throughout. She talks about the bright colors everywhere you look the red and orange hibiscus edges.' That place is the scorching sun at midday, the heavy and still humidity before the rain.Materena describes to her the sweet smell of flowers as they are opening up early in the morning, the aroma of coffee brewing in the kitchens, and fresh bread being baked at the baker nearby. 'Materena talks about Tahiti to give her unborn baby girl a general idea of her soon-to-be home.

Here is a great example of a description of Tahiti, which just happens to fall during a moment Materena talks to her unborn daughter:

In the Tahiti of Frangipani, very few couples are marrying, as traditional wisdom says you should have a child with a man to see what kind of person he really is before you'd ever consider marrying him. The best example was the idea of marriage. All the bits and pieces about the connection to the flora, the feminine wisdom passed down, and the use of some of the less universal customs made me feel like I was learning something. I have the sense it won't stick with me for long, which is why I only gave it three stars, but I didn't have to struggle to get through it.įor the purposes of this Around the World challenge, I really do appreciate when a novel can also describe the setting or the culture in a succinct and memorable way. Frangipani: A Novel by Célestine Hitiura VaiteĪn enjoyable story of Tahitian culture and the conflict between mothers and daughters.

Frangipani by Célestine Hitiura Vaite