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Vā: Stories by Women of the Moana
Stories that tell Covid how we really feel, where a Centipede God watches on with wry humour and wrath, where a sexy Samoan goes on a hot Tinder date in Honolulu, where a New Zealand doctor is horrified to be stuck at her cousin’s kava drink up in Fiji, where Moana people travel the stars and navigate planets, stories where Ancestors and Atua live and breathe. Stories that defy colonial boundaries, and draw on the storytelling and oratory that is our inheritance. Immerse yourself in the intrigue, fantasy, humour and magic of beautiful strong stories by 38 writers from across the Moana.
Chimamanda Adichie speaks about the danger of the single story. In this book you will travel across oceans and meet diverse and deep characters in over 50 rich stories from Cook Island, Chamorro, Erub Island (Torres Strait), Fijian, Hawaiian, Māori, Ni-Vanuatu, Papua New Guinean, Rotuman, Samoan and Tongan writers.
Compiled and edited by award-winning writers Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young, this anthology is the first of its kind. Never before have so many Moana women writers gathered together to share their stories.
Includes writing from: Amy Tielu, Arihia Latham, Ashlee Sturme, Audrey Teuki Brown Pereira, Caroline Matamua, Cassie Hart, Courtney Leigh Sit-Kam Malasi Thierry, Dahlia Malaeulu, Denise Carter Bennett, Emmaline Pickering Martin, Filifotu Vaai, Gina Cole, Isabella Naiduki, Karlo Mila, Kiri Piahana-Wong, Laura Toailoa, Lauren Keenan, Lehua Parker, Lily Ann Eteuati, Mere Taito, Momoe Malietoa Von Reiche, Nadine Anne Hura, Nafanua PK, Nichole Brown, Nicki Perese, Niusila Faamanatu-Eteuati, Ria Masae, Rebecca Tobo Olul-Hossen, Salote Timuiapaepatele Vaai Siaosi, Shirley Simmonds, Stacey Kokaua, Steph Matuku, Sylvia Nakachi, Tanya Kang Chargualaf, Tulia Thompson, Vanessa Collins.
Chimamanda Adichie speaks about the danger of the single story. In this book you will travel across oceans and meet diverse and deep characters in over 50 rich stories from Cook Island, Chamorro, Erub Island (Torres Strait), Fijian, Hawaiian, Māori, Ni-Vanuatu, Papua New Guinean, Rotuman, Samoan and Tongan writers.
Compiled and edited by award-winning writers Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young, this anthology is the first of its kind. Never before have so many Moana women writers gathered together to share their stories.
Includes writing from: Amy Tielu, Arihia Latham, Ashlee Sturme, Audrey Teuki Brown Pereira, Caroline Matamua, Cassie Hart, Courtney Leigh Sit-Kam Malasi Thierry, Dahlia Malaeulu, Denise Carter Bennett, Emmaline Pickering Martin, Filifotu Vaai, Gina Cole, Isabella Naiduki, Karlo Mila, Kiri Piahana-Wong, Laura Toailoa, Lauren Keenan, Lehua Parker, Lily Ann Eteuati, Mere Taito, Momoe Malietoa Von Reiche, Nadine Anne Hura, Nafanua PK, Nichole Brown, Nicki Perese, Niusila Faamanatu-Eteuati, Ria Masae, Rebecca Tobo Olul-Hossen, Salote Timuiapaepatele Vaai Siaosi, Shirley Simmonds, Stacey Kokaua, Steph Matuku, Sylvia Nakachi, Tanya Kang Chargualaf, Tulia Thompson, Vanessa Collins.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 23, 2021
32 people are currently reading
469 people want to read
About the author
Lani Wendt Young
27 books431 followersLani Young is an international bestselling author of YA fantasy, contemporary romance and literary fiction. The 2018 Pacific Laureate, her work is inspired by the diverse mythology of Oceania and the richness of her cultural heritage as a Samoan and Maori woman.
When she's not writing (or reading), she's baking cookies, talking to dogs, and trying to do triathlons.
She lives in Samoa and New Zealand with her Ironman husband and four children.
When she's not writing (or reading), she's baking cookies, talking to dogs, and trying to do triathlons.
She lives in Samoa and New Zealand with her Ironman husband and four children.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 14, 2024
In a Nutshell: A huge collection of stories and poems written and edited by women writers of Polynesian origin. Infused with a flavour of Polynesia and the Moana, but at times, the language gets a bit tricky for non-Polynesians to understand. Despite some niggles about the quantity and the language, definitely recommended! You won’t find such a powerful OwnVoices indigenous anthology.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When a reading challenge I’m participating in required a book by a non-Indian indigenous author, I knew that I'd pick up a work by an indigenous woman, and that I'd want to attempt something by an atypical ethnicity, a voice that is not often seen or heard in popular fiction. What better than to find a book written by not one but thirty-eight women from the Moana!? That gorgeous cover only sealed the deal.
This is one gigantic collection! Not just by page count (almost 400 pages) but also by content count – seventy-one stories, which includes eighteen poems! I almost fell off my seat when I saw the extensive Table of Contents! The blurb only said “over 50 rich stories”, so a 70+ count was unexpected. Then again, this also means that most of the stories are on the short side of the short fiction range. A part of me wishes that the story count would have been lower – most anthologies work best with 20-30 stories before reader fatigue sets in.
The representation is as authentic as it can get. The stories are by 38 women of various Polynesian ethnicities - Cook Island, Chamorro, Erub Island (Torres Strait), Fijian, Hawaiian, Māori, Ni-Vanuatu, Papua New Guinean, Rotuman, Samoan and Tongan. The editors are Polynesian, as is the designer of that magnificent cover art. (I can’t tell you how many times I have simply stared at that sketch – it is so soothing!)
As I wasn’t familiar with the main word of the title: ‘Vā’, I waited for the content to offer a clue, but there was no mention of it at all in the book. Google helped with this information: “In Samoan culture, vā is a concept that describes a physical or emotional space that connects people and things through relationships. It's a relational space that's constantly being redefined and negotiated between two cultures.’ So yes, it is a perfect title for the book. But it would have been great to see its meaning and the interpretation in some kind of introductory note ‘Moana’ is slightly more familiar to us, but mainly because of the Disney movie. . The word ‘Moana’ means either ‘ocean’ or ‘a large lake’ or ‘the sea’, or the colour of ‘ocean blue’, depending on the Polynesian language. (Thank you again, Google!)
The vocabulary hurdle would have been okay if limited to the above two words. However, a majority of the stories contain various words and phrases from languages I know nothing about. Guessing the etymological meaning is next to impossible, and trying to figure out the contextual meaning only works when there are scattered words, not entire sentences and conversations in that language. A glossary wouldn’t have helped as there were too many such instances. Perhaps there could have been footnotes with the English translations? I know for a fact that many of the stories would have worked better for me had I understood them entirely. Having a lot of local vernacular adds to the authentic feel but also gets distracting and confusing when it cannot be interpreted. The subtleties of many of the dialogues were lost to me because of this issue.
I took my time with this anthology, spending over a month savouring 2-3 stories a day. As some of you might know, I am allergic to poems, so I carefully skipped over every single poem in the book. (Apologies to the contributing poets! I am sure you did a great job! It’s not you; it’s me.)
The stories come from a variety of emotions and genres and timelines. Every tale is obviously from the point of view of a female character, with some stories having Queer rep as well. Some of the stories were more about the mythology of the cultures. Some were about fitting in the modern world while retaining your cultural identity. A few were more generic narratives, having nothing much to do with the Polynesian aspect. I liked the Samoan stories the best as they seemed to have much in common with Indian thinking in both good and bad ways.
I enjoyed the parting note by the editors (though I am upset that they didn’t write an introductory note. Yup, I’m quite greedy like that!) Instead of writing a traditional Oscar-winner-style vote of thanks, the note is written in the form of a traditional “vi’iga”, a praise song.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the fifty-three stories, fourteen stories reached or crossed the four-star mark. Most of the rest were clustered around 3-3.5 stars, and many of these would have ranked higher for me had I been able to understand the content better. These were my top favourites:
All in all, I admire the scope and the intent of this collection. Yes, it would have worked better for me with indexed footnotes containing the meanings of the Polynesian words, but I cannot take away from the value of this mind-blowing compilation.
Much recommended to all short fiction and indigenous fiction lovers. I am sure readers of Polynesian origin will find much to take pride in this beautiful representation of their indigenous culture and traditions, and the rest of us land-dwellers can learn more about some of the most vibrant cultures in the world.
If you do give this a try, and I wish with all my heart that you do, do not read all the stories at a go. It will be quite saturating. Rather, stick to about 2-3 stories a day and savour the experience over a longer period.
If the editors or anyone connected to the book is reading this, please, please consider adding a list of meanings and translations to the non-English words.
3.45 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the stories. (Rounding up for the praiseworthy OwnVoices rep and the possibility that the poems might have been fabulous.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When a reading challenge I’m participating in required a book by a non-Indian indigenous author, I knew that I'd pick up a work by an indigenous woman, and that I'd want to attempt something by an atypical ethnicity, a voice that is not often seen or heard in popular fiction. What better than to find a book written by not one but thirty-eight women from the Moana!? That gorgeous cover only sealed the deal.
This is one gigantic collection! Not just by page count (almost 400 pages) but also by content count – seventy-one stories, which includes eighteen poems! I almost fell off my seat when I saw the extensive Table of Contents! The blurb only said “over 50 rich stories”, so a 70+ count was unexpected. Then again, this also means that most of the stories are on the short side of the short fiction range. A part of me wishes that the story count would have been lower – most anthologies work best with 20-30 stories before reader fatigue sets in.
The representation is as authentic as it can get. The stories are by 38 women of various Polynesian ethnicities - Cook Island, Chamorro, Erub Island (Torres Strait), Fijian, Hawaiian, Māori, Ni-Vanuatu, Papua New Guinean, Rotuman, Samoan and Tongan. The editors are Polynesian, as is the designer of that magnificent cover art. (I can’t tell you how many times I have simply stared at that sketch – it is so soothing!)
As I wasn’t familiar with the main word of the title: ‘Vā’, I waited for the content to offer a clue, but there was no mention of it at all in the book. Google helped with this information: “In Samoan culture, vā is a concept that describes a physical or emotional space that connects people and things through relationships. It's a relational space that's constantly being redefined and negotiated between two cultures.’ So yes, it is a perfect title for the book. But it would have been great to see its meaning and the interpretation in some kind of introductory note ‘Moana’ is slightly more familiar to us, but mainly because of the Disney movie. . The word ‘Moana’ means either ‘ocean’ or ‘a large lake’ or ‘the sea’, or the colour of ‘ocean blue’, depending on the Polynesian language. (Thank you again, Google!)
The vocabulary hurdle would have been okay if limited to the above two words. However, a majority of the stories contain various words and phrases from languages I know nothing about. Guessing the etymological meaning is next to impossible, and trying to figure out the contextual meaning only works when there are scattered words, not entire sentences and conversations in that language. A glossary wouldn’t have helped as there were too many such instances. Perhaps there could have been footnotes with the English translations? I know for a fact that many of the stories would have worked better for me had I understood them entirely. Having a lot of local vernacular adds to the authentic feel but also gets distracting and confusing when it cannot be interpreted. The subtleties of many of the dialogues were lost to me because of this issue.
I took my time with this anthology, spending over a month savouring 2-3 stories a day. As some of you might know, I am allergic to poems, so I carefully skipped over every single poem in the book. (Apologies to the contributing poets! I am sure you did a great job! It’s not you; it’s me.)
The stories come from a variety of emotions and genres and timelines. Every tale is obviously from the point of view of a female character, with some stories having Queer rep as well. Some of the stories were more about the mythology of the cultures. Some were about fitting in the modern world while retaining your cultural identity. A few were more generic narratives, having nothing much to do with the Polynesian aspect. I liked the Samoan stories the best as they seemed to have much in common with Indian thinking in both good and bad ways.
I enjoyed the parting note by the editors (though I am upset that they didn’t write an introductory note. Yup, I’m quite greedy like that!) Instead of writing a traditional Oscar-winner-style vote of thanks, the note is written in the form of a traditional “vi’iga”, a praise song.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the fifty-three stories, fourteen stories reached or crossed the four-star mark. Most of the rest were clustered around 3-3.5 stars, and many of these would have ranked higher for me had I been able to understand the content better. These were my top favourites:
🌊 The Girl Who Saw The Moon's Sick - Rebecca Tobo Olul-Hossen: A bittersweet story about a little girl who gets her first period. Her sentiments come out in a very honest and realistic manner. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌊 Koviti Aikae - Lani Young: Loved this heartfelt and humorous narration of q young woman desperately trying to save her parents' from the dreaded 'koviti' pandemic. Wish I could figure out what Aikae stood for! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌊 Kalofae/ Ka alofa i ai/ I Feel Love For Them - Sisilia Eteuati: A fun story about a woman who is trying to be both a good Samoan daughter and a good Samoan mother, though her patience is tested in both of these tasks. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌊 Earth, Ocean - Shirley Simmonds: A poignant story about an unsure relationship. Loved how well the uncertainty is the couple comes out through their dual perspective. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌊 Family Pride - Nicki Perese: When it comes to family pride, even dreams can be sacrificed. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌊 Red Flags - Dahlia Malaeulu: An excellent narrative in second person, about how everyone is an equal and islanders should not play the race card. Enjoyed the combination of satire and sarcasm. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌊 Nana'ue - Lehua Parker: A mythological fantasy that's almost like a Greek myth retelling. The storyline is like one of Zeus' "love" plots, but the multi-character approach elevates it. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌊 Sunday Fun Day - Filifotu Vaai: A fun story about a young Samoan mom who is forced back into church on a Sunday to pacify her visiting dad. Loved the mix of humour and the taunts. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌊 For my Yaca - Emmaline Pickering-Martin: A little girl's adventurous day while shopping for her Yaca. Sweet and fun. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌊 Brothers - Lehua Parker: A shark story that went an unexpected way. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌊 Te Rerenga Wairua - Gina Cole: A nice representation of a typical marital fight. Not sure if the story meant to be funny, but I actually laughed at the ending. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌊 No Speak English - Lani Wendt-Young: Funny while at the same time, questioning the assumptions mainlanders make about islanders. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌊 Whaea Fire - Ria Masae: The Maori Haka is one of my favourite indigenous rituals from around the world. I love the rhythm, the passion, the coordination, and the energy. This book wouldn't have been complete without a story about the haka. I'm glad it was a good one. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌊 Rainbow Club - Lani Wendt Young: A bit too much telling in this otherwise perfect story about coming out. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
All in all, I admire the scope and the intent of this collection. Yes, it would have worked better for me with indexed footnotes containing the meanings of the Polynesian words, but I cannot take away from the value of this mind-blowing compilation.
Much recommended to all short fiction and indigenous fiction lovers. I am sure readers of Polynesian origin will find much to take pride in this beautiful representation of their indigenous culture and traditions, and the rest of us land-dwellers can learn more about some of the most vibrant cultures in the world.
If you do give this a try, and I wish with all my heart that you do, do not read all the stories at a go. It will be quite saturating. Rather, stick to about 2-3 stories a day and savour the experience over a longer period.
If the editors or anyone connected to the book is reading this, please, please consider adding a list of meanings and translations to the non-English words.
3.45 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the stories. (Rounding up for the praiseworthy OwnVoices rep and the possibility that the poems might have been fabulous.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
February 14, 2022
*sent to me by an author in exchange for a review*
This anthology is a collection of stories from 38 women writers from across Oceania including Wahine Maori from Aotearoa and Torres Strait Islands.
I was privileged enough to be sent a copy of this to review at the end of 2021. I was so excited to get a copy of this and my original plan was to binge read this in a couple of sittings. But after reading the first couple of stories I realised that I wanted to take my time. So rare it is to hear stories by wahine from our communities - I wanted to savour it all. And savour it, I did! There are so many beautiful stories here. And while they were short, varying in story (and mood), all them kept me fully absorbed.
To say I really loved all these stories just wouldn't cover it. I did have some favourites and I will try and not list the whole collection of stories:
*On "Living the Dream" by Karlo Mila (so punchy and so true in so many ways)
*Homesick by Steph Matuku (was SO good, so eerie, but also so beautiful)
*The Vuniwai by Mere Taito (this made me think of home, I loved this so, so much)
*Bloody Islanders by Lani Wendt Young (made me want to slap Frank in the face)
*For my Yaca by Emmaline Pickering-Martin (another one that made me think of home and it made me a bit emotional. It's always hard to describe the feeling of seeing yourself in a story).
*Racheli by Tulia Thompson (was absolutely heart retching)
* The Karanga by Cassie Hart (I loved Butcherbird and Cassie’s writing and this story is no different)
*Rainbow Club by Lani Wendt Young (this made me laugh, especially the end!)
I highly, highly, highly recommend this collection to anyone who is after some fantastic writing from wahine across the Oceania.
This anthology is a collection of stories from 38 women writers from across Oceania including Wahine Maori from Aotearoa and Torres Strait Islands.
I was privileged enough to be sent a copy of this to review at the end of 2021. I was so excited to get a copy of this and my original plan was to binge read this in a couple of sittings. But after reading the first couple of stories I realised that I wanted to take my time. So rare it is to hear stories by wahine from our communities - I wanted to savour it all. And savour it, I did! There are so many beautiful stories here. And while they were short, varying in story (and mood), all them kept me fully absorbed.
To say I really loved all these stories just wouldn't cover it. I did have some favourites and I will try and not list the whole collection of stories:
*On "Living the Dream" by Karlo Mila (so punchy and so true in so many ways)
*Homesick by Steph Matuku (was SO good, so eerie, but also so beautiful)
*The Vuniwai by Mere Taito (this made me think of home, I loved this so, so much)
*Bloody Islanders by Lani Wendt Young (made me want to slap Frank in the face)
*For my Yaca by Emmaline Pickering-Martin (another one that made me think of home and it made me a bit emotional. It's always hard to describe the feeling of seeing yourself in a story).
*Racheli by Tulia Thompson (was absolutely heart retching)
* The Karanga by Cassie Hart (I loved Butcherbird and Cassie’s writing and this story is no different)
*Rainbow Club by Lani Wendt Young (this made me laugh, especially the end!)
I highly, highly, highly recommend this collection to anyone who is after some fantastic writing from wahine across the Oceania.
January 7, 2023
This book was real and raw! All stories were fantastic 😍 seeing yourself represented in a book is why I gave it 5 stars. If you really want to know what it’s like being Polynesian? Then read this book it won’t disappoint 😎
January 7, 2023
This is a collection with such a varitey of stories that simply gets hold of you. Some stories made me smile, some made me cry and some other made me want to shout in anger. Truly a must read.
•
"We fortunate our parents are not the fasi type. Yes, the mother used the salu a few times. The seevae kosokoso. Maybe she threw a pot at Siaki’s head once. But doesn’t count, since he ducked. And yes, she is skilful at soul cutting with words. But then, what Samoan mother isn’t?"
•
"All Māori get sliced and stabbed by racist rhetoric, no matter if it’s specifically directed at them or not. The words find us. They cut us. They force us to heal with a thickened callous. They make our souls harder."
•
I wish the collections included some footnotes or an index for some words and expressions I couldn't understand.
•
"We fortunate our parents are not the fasi type. Yes, the mother used the salu a few times. The seevae kosokoso. Maybe she threw a pot at Siaki’s head once. But doesn’t count, since he ducked. And yes, she is skilful at soul cutting with words. But then, what Samoan mother isn’t?"
•
"All Māori get sliced and stabbed by racist rhetoric, no matter if it’s specifically directed at them or not. The words find us. They cut us. They force us to heal with a thickened callous. They make our souls harder."
•
I wish the collections included some footnotes or an index for some words and expressions I couldn't understand.
December 22, 2021
So very proud to be part of this project. Va is a beautiful book. An anthology collection of creative fiction from 38 bold brilliant women writers from across Oceania including Wahine Maori from Aotearoa and Torres Strait Islands. Short stories and poetry in a wide range of genres and moods. Some highlights for me were Vanessa Collins gentle story HER GARDEN which conveyed so much love and longing in the memories of her Nanalevu's garden. Steph Matuku's story HOMESICK that made me laugh, cry and have chills down my spine, and wistfully wish that I had a much better understanding and connection to my Maori heritage. Lehua Parker's triple story combo was epic, who knew there were that many different ways to incorporate sharks into a story?! I want to read a novel from her now, about any or all of these stories expanded. Nafanua PK's poem MODESTY TASI LUA TOLU is so damn powerful that it took my breath away. Sisilia Eteuati's story ATUALOA changed my perspective on centipedes! Mere Taito's story is hilarious, relatable, and she needs to write a novel quick so I can read it and alternately be shocked and laugh all the way through.
I could keep going here. This book is a must read.
I could keep going here. This book is a must read.
March 3, 2022
This is a *huge* compilation of stories from across the Pacific and that is all to our benefit. I took it three a day, and read the volume in the course of a month - I would recommend spacing the reading with this one, to ensure each story gets its due and reduce the tendency of old brains to get confused.
Given the size, it is hard to mention all the stand-out stories. Lani Young's Koviti Aikae, however, would win my MVP if I had to choose. It had me laughing out loud, both at the fabulous celebration of Samoan culture and at the universality of the central dilemma - the tensions around your elderly loved ones living their lives normally/recklessly during COVID. "The father frowns. Then gets shifty gleam in eyes. 'The barber is my friend. His shop is downstairs in his house. So I'm not going to a public place. I'm going to visit my good friend Malo. And while I am there having a chat, he can cut my hair.' The father is triumphant at the brilliance of his rationalisation." Tell me, fellow Gen Xers, are there any of you not groaning in sympathy? Also in the very, very funny vein was Sisilia Eteuati's Kalofae/Ka alofa I ai, which did feel a little like two stories in one. Her Snake, later in the volume, was one of my favourite poems in the anthology as well: "We Will watch From waka As you In all your Arrogance try to eat coal ripped from stolen lands." The other was Nafanua PK's Face recognition which beats into your brain.
Steph Matuku's Homesick nicely balanced humour - often sarcastic - with one of the more moving stories in the compendium, and Filofotu Vaai's The Bumble Fumble balances a similar shift between humour and poignancy.
Tanya Chargualaf Taimanglo's Hanbok was beautifully sad and warm without wasting a word. Also in the not-wasting-words was Rebecca Tobo Olul-Hossen's Bad things happen down there, which is one of the most successful "slice of life" pieces. Lily-ann Eteuati's Maunmea was sharp and gripping in all the best ways. "And so they talk, talk, talk about me … Every evening there is a new version of my life. And even I've gotten invested and look forward to hearing the updates."
Lehua Parker's Nana'ue is one of many that tackle more of fable style storytelling. She pulls of creepy suspense, even though, fable style, you know how this is likely to end.
In the devastating story camp, we had Tulia Thompson's Rachieli, which tells a taut, difficult story with compassion and the kind od deep characterisation that is hard to pull off in this short form. Nichole Brown's Shut was the other hard-hitting story I loved, but has a different style altogether.
I thought Stacey Kokaua's Pareu was going the same way, but this turned into a more hopeful story about losses and gains and things you can't lose.
I feel compelled to mention Amy Tielu's The Sei and the Blade, even though I thought it had a few structural issues, but the strong characterisation and capacity to subvert expectations was so strong it remains highly memorable.
Similarly, Aiga Fausiga, a story by both Young and Sisilia Eteauti didn't entirely work for me, but had such a passionate vision and sense of breadth, that I decided I couldn't not mention it.
This volume is a gift. It is appalling that it is so difficult to find the work of so many of these authors (also standard complaint about bios at the end, and not next to the stories, which would also make it much easier to just buy their other work).
Given the size, it is hard to mention all the stand-out stories. Lani Young's Koviti Aikae, however, would win my MVP if I had to choose. It had me laughing out loud, both at the fabulous celebration of Samoan culture and at the universality of the central dilemma - the tensions around your elderly loved ones living their lives normally/recklessly during COVID. "The father frowns. Then gets shifty gleam in eyes. 'The barber is my friend. His shop is downstairs in his house. So I'm not going to a public place. I'm going to visit my good friend Malo. And while I am there having a chat, he can cut my hair.' The father is triumphant at the brilliance of his rationalisation." Tell me, fellow Gen Xers, are there any of you not groaning in sympathy? Also in the very, very funny vein was Sisilia Eteuati's Kalofae/Ka alofa I ai, which did feel a little like two stories in one. Her Snake, later in the volume, was one of my favourite poems in the anthology as well: "We Will watch From waka As you In all your Arrogance try to eat coal ripped from stolen lands." The other was Nafanua PK's Face recognition which beats into your brain.
Steph Matuku's Homesick nicely balanced humour - often sarcastic - with one of the more moving stories in the compendium, and Filofotu Vaai's The Bumble Fumble balances a similar shift between humour and poignancy.
Tanya Chargualaf Taimanglo's Hanbok was beautifully sad and warm without wasting a word. Also in the not-wasting-words was Rebecca Tobo Olul-Hossen's Bad things happen down there, which is one of the most successful "slice of life" pieces. Lily-ann Eteuati's Maunmea was sharp and gripping in all the best ways. "And so they talk, talk, talk about me … Every evening there is a new version of my life. And even I've gotten invested and look forward to hearing the updates."
Lehua Parker's Nana'ue is one of many that tackle more of fable style storytelling. She pulls of creepy suspense, even though, fable style, you know how this is likely to end.
In the devastating story camp, we had Tulia Thompson's Rachieli, which tells a taut, difficult story with compassion and the kind od deep characterisation that is hard to pull off in this short form. Nichole Brown's Shut was the other hard-hitting story I loved, but has a different style altogether.
I thought Stacey Kokaua's Pareu was going the same way, but this turned into a more hopeful story about losses and gains and things you can't lose.
I feel compelled to mention Amy Tielu's The Sei and the Blade, even though I thought it had a few structural issues, but the strong characterisation and capacity to subvert expectations was so strong it remains highly memorable.
Similarly, Aiga Fausiga, a story by both Young and Sisilia Eteauti didn't entirely work for me, but had such a passionate vision and sense of breadth, that I decided I couldn't not mention it.
This volume is a gift. It is appalling that it is so difficult to find the work of so many of these authors (also standard complaint about bios at the end, and not next to the stories, which would also make it much easier to just buy their other work).
January 3, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories! Taking me back to my childhood, reinforcing my ideas and beliefs. A strong reminder that the stories of Moana need to be heard no matter what the message is. It was so fantastic to be exposed to so many writers that I wasn't aware of. I am so grateful to have stories that I could relate to and that reflects my life and identity.
Read
September 15, 2023Too. many. stories.
My favorite was actually one of the poems, "Face recognition" by Nafanua PK. Simple, but every effective. Other poems which stood out to me were "Red Flags" by Dahlia Malaeulu, "Snake" by Sisilia Eleuati
Stories I really enjoyed include "Homesick" by Steph Makutu, Lehua Parker's shark trio, "Sunday Fun Day" by Filifotu Vaai, "No Speak English" and "Rainbow Club" by Lani Wendt-Young, "Whaea Fire" by Ria Masae, "The Sei and the Blade" by Amy Tielu, and "Atua Loa" by Sisilia Eteuati, which was a good end for the anthology.
My favorite was actually one of the poems, "Face recognition" by Nafanua PK. Simple, but every effective. Other poems which stood out to me were "Red Flags" by Dahlia Malaeulu, "Snake" by Sisilia Eleuati
Stories I really enjoyed include "Homesick" by Steph Makutu, Lehua Parker's shark trio, "Sunday Fun Day" by Filifotu Vaai, "No Speak English" and "Rainbow Club" by Lani Wendt-Young, "Whaea Fire" by Ria Masae, "The Sei and the Blade" by Amy Tielu, and "Atua Loa" by Sisilia Eteuati, which was a good end for the anthology.
May 31, 2024
This is a really great short story & poetry collection that highlights Pacific Islander authors. I would highly recommend!
Some of my favorite stories were Close Encounters, Earth, Ocean, Family pride, and Rainbow Club.
Some of my favorite stories were Close Encounters, Earth, Ocean, Family pride, and Rainbow Club.
February 3, 2022
Such a delightful and striking variety of stories from across the Pacific! A great showcase of authors and hopefully a herald of more anthologies and more published works by these women. Highly recommend!
August 11, 2025
There were some excellent short stories in here, however, many did very little to nothing for me. The poetry was good. I would add that it's important to keep in mind when reading my review that short story collections are not something I enjoy reading.
I think this review might be controversial.
My first thoughts were this collection should have been shorter. I would have liked more streamlining in the choice of stories. Some authors had more than one story - I think just one from each author would have been better.
I read this book as part of my Read the World in Translation. The challenge is country based, and immediately when I started researching authors for specific Pacific island states I realized a country basis would not work for the Pacific islands. Instead I chose three groupings of the islands and I am reading them that way. This short story collection counted under two of these three groups but not for New Zealand (and the reason for that is because I want to read more books.)
I was hoping to get some insight into the culture, the politics etc through reading works by authors from these places. I am dissatisfied with what I have read so far for Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. I am not sure I have received a good snapshot of the area. My takeaway from this book is: prejudice (both from colonial lines and differences among different groups,) misogyny and sexism are a problem stemming from traditional and colonial sources and people feel torn about traditional culture and modern times. I don't feel like I really touched the soul of the Pacific Islands.
Let's assume I will never have the opportunity to travel to any of these islands so this work is my only chance to get a snapshot of the lives of people in Fiji or Samoa etc. When you think about it, these stories are not written for someone like me. These stories are written for others living in this area, and it saddens me that I am missing so much context and understanding to fully appreciate these stories. I could research and read about the islands (which I did do for awhile, but I gave up because it was just too much to translate this amount of material in the time I had with the text.) I don't mind if other languages are used, generally, even ones where I have no understanding of them, but in many of these stories, not even the context could help me determine what the words of the other languages were saying. Imho, stories are little nuggets of communication, passing a quick feeling to the reader, and if the reader doesn't understand the language and doesn't have the cues, the story and/or the moral is lost on them. I'm sure there are other readers out there who understand the language(s) and found deeper meaning from these stories. I did not, and I get it -the random North American reader attempting to diversify their reading is not the intended audience. It just feels like a missed opportunity.
Some reviews here are quite enthusiastic about this collection. My reaction was lukewarm at best. I would not recommend unless short story collections are something you like to read.
I think this review might be controversial.
My first thoughts were this collection should have been shorter. I would have liked more streamlining in the choice of stories. Some authors had more than one story - I think just one from each author would have been better.
I read this book as part of my Read the World in Translation. The challenge is country based, and immediately when I started researching authors for specific Pacific island states I realized a country basis would not work for the Pacific islands. Instead I chose three groupings of the islands and I am reading them that way. This short story collection counted under two of these three groups but not for New Zealand (and the reason for that is because I want to read more books.)
I was hoping to get some insight into the culture, the politics etc through reading works by authors from these places. I am dissatisfied with what I have read so far for Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. I am not sure I have received a good snapshot of the area. My takeaway from this book is: prejudice (both from colonial lines and differences among different groups,) misogyny and sexism are a problem stemming from traditional and colonial sources and people feel torn about traditional culture and modern times. I don't feel like I really touched the soul of the Pacific Islands.
Let's assume I will never have the opportunity to travel to any of these islands so this work is my only chance to get a snapshot of the lives of people in Fiji or Samoa etc. When you think about it, these stories are not written for someone like me. These stories are written for others living in this area, and it saddens me that I am missing so much context and understanding to fully appreciate these stories. I could research and read about the islands (which I did do for awhile, but I gave up because it was just too much to translate this amount of material in the time I had with the text.) I don't mind if other languages are used, generally, even ones where I have no understanding of them, but in many of these stories, not even the context could help me determine what the words of the other languages were saying. Imho, stories are little nuggets of communication, passing a quick feeling to the reader, and if the reader doesn't understand the language and doesn't have the cues, the story and/or the moral is lost on them. I'm sure there are other readers out there who understand the language(s) and found deeper meaning from these stories. I did not, and I get it -the random North American reader attempting to diversify their reading is not the intended audience. It just feels like a missed opportunity.
Some reviews here are quite enthusiastic about this collection. My reaction was lukewarm at best. I would not recommend unless short story collections are something you like to read.
November 14, 2023
I thought there would be a few more stories with mythology or fantasy elements, but the overwhelming majority are just stories about regular life. I liked some of them, but a lot of them were so similar, they sort of blend together. I do feel like I got sort of a blanket/atmosphere idea of the culture surrounding Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, etc., and that's good. But for pure enjoyment, meh.
A lot of these stories use random little sentences of their native language. Some are poems ONLY in that language. Often I was reading this on my phone while out or putting my daughter to bed so I couldn't look up the phrases, and sometimes even when I did nothing came of it. This aspect would probably be really enjoyable on audio. I'm sure the poetry and stuff is beautiful when read by someone who actually knows how to pronounce the words and the meaning behind them. However, depending on how much it was used, it was really hard to follow what they were actually talking about sometimes.
A lot of these stories use random little sentences of their native language. Some are poems ONLY in that language. Often I was reading this on my phone while out or putting my daughter to bed so I couldn't look up the phrases, and sometimes even when I did nothing came of it. This aspect would probably be really enjoyable on audio. I'm sure the poetry and stuff is beautiful when read by someone who actually knows how to pronounce the words and the meaning behind them. However, depending on how much it was used, it was really hard to follow what they were actually talking about sometimes.
December 13, 2022
Vā is, I gather, an encompassing concept in Samoan. It is a space, but not an empty one. It refers to a relational space, where people gather and negotiate who they are to each other. It is bound to time — all time, past, present, future. These writings by women of the Moana — the ocean, specifically the Pacific — take place in this relational space. The relationships are between sisters, mothers and children, daughters and parents, descendants and ancestors, men and women, land and people, between islands, people and culture. Read more on my blog.
March 16, 2022
I'm really proud to be a part of this book with its rich beautiful and powerful stories which crossed oceans and connected us during covid times.
It's hard to choose which stories to mention as I really did love each of them...
I loved Lani Wendt Young's very funny Koviti Aikae, who can't relate to telling covid to eat sh@# and to trying to get elderly parents to follow covid (or lets face it any) guidelines.
Shirley Simmond's Ocean, Earth captured something more powerful and poignant than star-crossed lovers.
Filifotu Vaai's The Bumble Fumble had me screaming with laughter and I may have had several "Yass Queen" moments.
But for me the story that I keep coming back to is Lehua Parker's Nanu'e. It is cleverly told magical realism and myth and a story I want to read over and over.
It's hard to choose which stories to mention as I really did love each of them...
I loved Lani Wendt Young's very funny Koviti Aikae, who can't relate to telling covid to eat sh@# and to trying to get elderly parents to follow covid (or lets face it any) guidelines.
Shirley Simmond's Ocean, Earth captured something more powerful and poignant than star-crossed lovers.
Filifotu Vaai's The Bumble Fumble had me screaming with laughter and I may have had several "Yass Queen" moments.
But for me the story that I keep coming back to is Lehua Parker's Nanu'e. It is cleverly told magical realism and myth and a story I want to read over and over.
July 9, 2022
An incredible anthology. I took my time reading this with a few stories a day. A powerfull book filled with love and pride from so many women of the Moana. Two of my favourites would have to be Brothers by Lehua Parker and Rainbow Club by Lani Wendt Young. But honestly all the poetry and short stories contained in this book were amazing. Each one deserves so much recognition for the message they carry.
June 13, 2023
Some of these stories were smile inducing, some were heartbreaking, some made my heart beat with fear, and over all they were wonderful. I appreciated the mix of types of stories, perspectives, and lived experiences that made the short stories come to life. I would highly recommend for anyone who enjoys slice-0f-life tales and just well written stories in general.
March 5, 2024
Absolutely loved this book! I read it while I was on holiday. As a young Māori & Pasifika wāhine, it can be hard to feel connection when we read stories that weren’t written by people who have lived our experiences and these stories made me feel so seen, understood and heard. I shed a few tears too. Highly recommend, especially for wāhine across the pacific.
August 25, 2023
belonging, identity, light vs dark, tradition & ancestry, honor, religion, nature (earth + gardening + flowers + roots, fire + smoke, water + sea, air + sky + sun & moon), white=purity, windows & doors, movement, sound & music vs silence, memory vs forgetting, passage of time
August 19, 2024
4.5 stars
February 1, 2024
I stumbled upon this book while searching for Pacific Islander authors. This is an anthology that features Cook Island, Chamorro, Erub Island (Torres Strait), Fijian, Hawaiian, Māori, Ni-Vanuatu, Papua New Guinean, Rotuman, Samoan and Tongan writers. There is fiction/nonfiction, poetry, stories told in other languages. Some beautiful, some hilarious, some haunting. I've never read anything like it.
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