The Global Reader

My reading habits tend towards the very serious non-fiction side…always having to learn new stuff…
But you can often get just as much knowledge through a well-told tale and that’s what I found in my choice for Tahiti.

A novel published in 2004, Frangipani by Célestine Hitiura Vaite, is a lovely and lively read. I did know that at the very least I wanted to learn something solid about life in Tahiti – so often with places that are so beautiful (and not English-speaking), you can’t find much outside of travel guides and/or writing that tips towards the “exotic”. The latter…not too interested in that.

Family, friends, school, work, annoying neighbors, money problems, the weather, what’s for dinner; when you come down to it, that’s the raw material of existence no matter where you hang your hat. And this book does a great job of letting you in on that side of life in Tahiti. The characters are all well-developed and likable; I totally want to get invited to one of the family get-togethers! I got a great sense of place from this story, and enjoyed it very much. I also read it on the beach, which never hurts…