Literature of the Pacific: Samoan Literature

What happens when an old man wakes up one morning and finds that everything around him now fills with revulsion? What happens when Faleasa Osovae, the highest ranking alii in the village of Maalaelua, feigns madness and throws away his responsibilities as a chief?

This story of a cross-racial romance between a Samoan student at Auckland University and the daughter of a wealthy palagi family spotlights the complex nature of love, freedom and racism in New Zealand.

Olamaiileoti Monroe and her father Finau embark on a journey of discovery when she accompanies him on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, a gift presented to him by his children for his seventy-fifth birthday.

A dynamic group has emerged in Auckland whose members refer to themselves as the Tribe. Mainly Polynesian, they grow up together, rise from poverty and become successful professionals, bound by love and fierce loyalty.

Journey through the many stories and worlds of the immortal Vela – Vela, so red and ugly at birth they called him the Cooked; Vela the lonely admirer of pigs and the connoisseur of feet; Vela the lover of song maker Mulialofa the Boneman.

Pele and her family must adapt to the growing world that stretches out from village life in Samoa to the cities of Europe, America and New Zealand. Love must encompass the family's links to the ancient gods of pre-missionary times and move through the turn of the nineteenth century, the First World War, the terrible Spanish Influenza Epidemic and beyond.

Samoan chief, Luao Nuulua, is seeing the impact of America's cultural revolution in his small village of Mu. When his son murders an American, Nuulua must choose between following the warrior ways of his ancestors' akua or his Christian faith. The path he takes has costly consequences.

When Leila moves to Samoa, all she wants is a family, a place to belong. Instead she discovers the local ancient myths of the telesa spirit women are more than just scary stories. The more she finds out about her heritage, the more sinister her new home turns out to be. There are 3 books in this series.

While most girls her age are playing sports and perfecting their traditional Samoan dance, 15-year old Kiva finds serenity in her sketchbook. Kiva is drawn to Ryler Cade, an angry and misguided student sent from abroad. Soon old family secrets surface that make her question everything.

"Alofa Filiga is 13 and lives in the village of Malaeofa in Samoan. Growing up in the village, she learns to come to terms with violence, womanhood and her own personal search for identity. " Back cover

Kneubuhl tests the sparkling waters of making bold life changes and jumps into the deep end of the blue Pacific Ocean. If you've ever flirted with the idea of chucking it all in for the good life then you'll enjoy this whimsical, satirical and wise take on trading it all in for a slice of paradise.

Paul Tusifale is a twenty eight year old Samoan American who is trying to find his place in a culture that barely acknowledges hi existence. Set in San Jose, Paul, a drifter, takes an interest in defending those in need.

A Samoan family, the Aiga Sa Peseola, who have been in Auckland since the 1950s and over three generations have intermarried with Māori and Pakeha. One summer weekend tensions build between migrant and New Zealand-born generations, and between Samoan, Māori, and Pālagi family members.

The life of Samoana, a ten year old Samoan girl, provides her insights on school, church, friends, family, violence, western good and much more. Told in short vignettes, her prose is in English sprinkled with Samoan.

These eight stories convey the "the unease of a traditional island community caught up in the rapid changes of the modern world." Back cover

This remarkable collection of stories offers a portrait of the fascinating and complex world of Samoa.

Wendt explores the nature of love, family, and culture through the lives of people caught between the sometimes violent and destructive realities of modern contemporary life, and the ancestral ties of their heritage. Set in the Pacific, including Hawai'i, Aotearoa / New Zealand and Samoa, the stories are told with insight, wisdom, humour, and compassion.

Albert Wendt's short stories, providing a complex and profound understanding of people and the world, have been read and praised in New Zealand, the Pacific and internationally.

The essays and poetry form a carefully woven critique, from within and outside Samoa, of aspects of Samoa's religious and cultural values.

Milaʻs Tongan, Samoan, Māori and Palangi ancestries are fused in this first collection of poetry, which explores the intergenerational tensions between migration and returning, the new and the traditional, the emergent professional classes and their working-class migrant communities of origin.

This vivacious collection of poetry charts the author's experience with the sometimes painful intersection of New Zealand and Samoan cultures in her life. Alive with the energy and rhythm of performance poetry and oral traditions, these poems reshape common understanding of culture.

This collection of poetry and art focus on identity, belonging, birth, being a mother, wife, and lover.