Sado

by Mikaela Nyman

Sado n. shadow 2. reflection 3. humiliation, dishonour
—A New Bislama Dictionary

Friday 13 March, 2015: Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam makes landfall with devastating consequences. Vanuatu is bruised but not broken. Reeling from the loss of livelihood and struggling to meet basic human needs, people start to reassemble their lives.

Cathryn is an NGO worker from New Zealand who has a ruined home, a teenage son and a Ni-Vanuatu boyfriend she hasn’t heard from since the phone lines went dead. Faia is a community organiser, a radio journalist and a survivor who fights for women to be heard. Together and apart they navigate their places in the complex cultural and social systems of Vanuatu, where tradition clashes with modern urban life.

Sado is a novel about relationships – between friends and family, across cultures and communities, and also with the past. When a terrible accident occurs, all of these relationships are called into question.



Cover design by Little by Little Studio Vanuatu

Genres: Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2020

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would not have been on my radar had it not been chosen by one of my Book Group members. A hard book for me to rate as I didn’t really like it, or perhaps more accurate to say I liked the story but didn’t enjoy the read (if that makes any sense!). The story is set in Vanuatu 2015, in the immediate aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Pam. The authors 4 years living in Vanuatu reward the reader with a feeling of descriptive authenticity of life on the Island. The story is centred around two main characters, both woman, both strong, both with a desire to help and improve the life of others. Whilst to the outsider “Island Life” may appear to be slow and simple…the novel reveals how opposite it really is. With its roots firmly planted in the past yet intertwined with the present, the story reveals the challenges for Vanuatu, bought about by the clashing of cultural, social and gender biased traditions. Without going into detail/spoilers, there is a tragic accident which occurs in the story, made even more tragic by upholding island tradition and “kastom”. I felt like this should have really moved me, yet I read the whole book without really feeling invested on an emotional level. I think this resulted from not being able to connect with the main characters and the frequent passages written in Bislama. I found myself going over them numerous times to try and work out the meanings, which for me was disruptive and annoying. On a personal level, I have connections to both Finland and New Plymouth…where the author was a) born and b) currently lives.
ps. I really loved the cover on the edition I read!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nyman lived on Vanuatu for four years and was there for Cyclone Pam; this novel, her debut, is set in the months after the disaster and focuses on Cathryn, an NGO worker from New Zealand, living in the country with her son.

It's a beautifully written novel and I appreciated learning about the culture and traditions of Vanuatu, which Nyman presents in an understanding and respectful way. Also enjoyed the use of local dialect, felt it was easy enough to follow and didn't take away from the story. Hope to read more from her in the future.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging - I can't say I 'liked' it, that's the wrong word, but I was captured by this story. Strong women characters, started as a tale of cyclone destruction, then explored relationships, different cultures, and how people think and act when terrible things happen.

[☕Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ratings:

Writing 4
Story line 3.5
Characters 3.5
Impact 4

Overall rating 3.75

[Serendipity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved Sado, a novel set in Vanuatu in the aftermath of Hurricane Pam in 2015. The narrative centres on Cathryn, an NGO worker from New Zealand whose life and work are closely meshed with the indigenous peoples. We clearly see the destruction wrought by the hurricane and it’s impact on housing, water, food and income. Not to mention the fear and uncertainty as communication lines are down and it is unclear how bad the damage is on other islands and if loved ones are safe.

The writing was immersive so I really felt like I was in Vanuatu. Many parts were written in Bislama, a variety of pidgin English. It was fairly easy to understand, especially if I read it out loud. If in doubt Google was my friend. The choice to use a lot of Bislama is one key factor contributing to the strong sense of place. The author is not indigenous but lived in Vanuatu for four years and her familiarity with and love for the country shines through. Many aspects of the culture, lifestyle and kastom - land diving, sandroing, laplap, Mother Hubbard dresses, tamtams and more - are folded into the text.

One of the most interesting aspects of the story for me was the cultural clash between traditional, patriarchal culture and more modern, liberal values . When Cathryn and her colleague Faia are involved in a shocking accident, justice is first handled via long standing customary means of reconciliation. Cathryn is shocked but Faia is accepting even though she is one who must pay the terrible cost. A court eventually overturns the decision angering the country’s chiefs. We also witness a conflict between NGOs and the government on what Vanuatu needs following the hurricane and who gets to make those decisions. There are also differences of opinion on domestic violence, whether women should serve on community committees, and how land should be used, not to mention Cathryn’s uneasiness about traditional initiation rites her boyfriend may be undergoing. Some chiefs may believe “Kastom is who we are and what we do” and ask “Who are we without our kastom?”. Without judging, the author asks “What if kastom doesn’t serve everyone?”

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Vanuatu settings and the destruction brought by Cyclone Pam felt real and the social and cultural action read well. There was a dreaminess about this book, maybe through the slow pace especially in relation to what was happening between the main characters. Also an unusual structure, with some very short chapters bringing additional one-off points of view. I'm not convinced that worked as I found it confusing - it almost hijacked my staying with the story at times. The author deliberately chose to write sentences in Bislama at times without translation. Bold. But also challenging as it disrupted.

[Karen Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting bits, and OK read

[Nicole Kroger Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

#readtheworld Vanuatu

[Liz Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neat little glimpse into a different country and their lives after a cyclone.