![]() In this whimsical, charming novel (her first to be published in the U.S.), Vaite introduces readers to proud "professional cleaner" Materena Mahi, one of the spunkiest, wisest, lovingest women on the island of Tahiti. ![]() "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. It's such a vibrant, colourful slice of Tahitian life you can almost smell the frangipani. So why is Materena praying to the Virgin Mary for the strength to resist throwing her daughter into the street?Ĭélestine Hitiura Vaite's irresistible novel is filled with wisdom, laughter, and two of the stubbornest women you will ever meet. Leilani is every bit as smart and inquisitive as Materena wanted her to be. ![]() But the traditional words of motherly wisdom aren't appropriate for Leilani, who is already smart enough to know that old wives' tales aren't true like the facts in her encyclopedias, and that science takes precedence over superstition. Materena Mahi has the perfect tree for her daughter, Leilani-a beautiful frangipani.įourteen years later, it's time for another ritual-Materena's "Welcome to Womanhood"speech. And after her baptism, a tree is planted in her name. ![]() After a new baby is introduced to her living relatives she is taken to the cemetery to meet the dead. Tahitian life begins with Welcome into the World rituals. ![]()
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