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Beyond the Palm Trees
Beyond the Palm Trees is a book of real, short stories from the South Pacific. These easy to read stories will take you into the heart of remote villages and far flung islands, where custom and culture is so different from what we experience in the western world. These stories are a mixture of sadness and joy; cultural conflicts and strong family bonds; clashes between the old ways and the new.
151 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 11, 2015
Beyond the Palm Trees by Robyn Harbour is an enjoyable read. Robyn was a missionary in Vanuatu for several years however this book is not a typical missionary book. Robyn has chosen to write 36 short stories about the people who live in the islands that make up Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
The stories are biographical accounts of the islanders and are not strictly speaking evangelical. The stories expose the culture and customs of the different islands with each island being unique, though there is a common theme of poverty and hardship.
By presenting the stories in this manner the reader is left to make their own conclusions. A tourist could read this book and find it helpful and informative for their visit. A future missionary could read it and become aware of the difficulties they will be facing. As a Christian reading this book I thought about the positive impact Christianity has obviously had, yet often it hasn't gone far enough. Some island cultures are still abusive to women and do not treat everyone with respect. I wonder if future generations will break the hold that traditional practices and customs still have.
I found Robyn's approach to be a refreshing and interesting as each story throws light on a different aspect of island life.
A good read.
With thanks to Robyn for providing a free book for review.
The stories are biographical accounts of the islanders and are not strictly speaking evangelical. The stories expose the culture and customs of the different islands with each island being unique, though there is a common theme of poverty and hardship.
By presenting the stories in this manner the reader is left to make their own conclusions. A tourist could read this book and find it helpful and informative for their visit. A future missionary could read it and become aware of the difficulties they will be facing. As a Christian reading this book I thought about the positive impact Christianity has obviously had, yet often it hasn't gone far enough. Some island cultures are still abusive to women and do not treat everyone with respect. I wonder if future generations will break the hold that traditional practices and customs still have.
I found Robyn's approach to be a refreshing and interesting as each story throws light on a different aspect of island life.
A good read.
With thanks to Robyn for providing a free book for review.
May 2, 2019
A collection of stories gathered from the people living in the remote islands of Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
Each chapter covers a story about one or several of the islanders. Each tale brings to light some of the lesser known customs and traditions. These stories reveal some of the darker attitudes regarding the way some people see women and their own children. There is alot of counter balance in this book. For every shocking story there is another full of hope.
There are also some fascinating stories involving shark and crocodile attacks!
This book left me contemplating how I as an individual can help those in need.
The only aspect I found frustrating was that due to privacy, none of the places were identified, not even to say which of the two countries were being written about. I appreciate that some of the people involved want their identity hidden but from the reader’s perspective it felt like a missed opportunity. There are some strong cultural messages worthy of discussion and more. It is harder to discuss these with credibility when you can’t name which place these things things happened in.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes books about culture in remote places.
Each chapter covers a story about one or several of the islanders. Each tale brings to light some of the lesser known customs and traditions. These stories reveal some of the darker attitudes regarding the way some people see women and their own children. There is alot of counter balance in this book. For every shocking story there is another full of hope.
There are also some fascinating stories involving shark and crocodile attacks!
This book left me contemplating how I as an individual can help those in need.
The only aspect I found frustrating was that due to privacy, none of the places were identified, not even to say which of the two countries were being written about. I appreciate that some of the people involved want their identity hidden but from the reader’s perspective it felt like a missed opportunity. There are some strong cultural messages worthy of discussion and more. It is harder to discuss these with credibility when you can’t name which place these things things happened in.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes books about culture in remote places.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews