4.5 This is a beautiful, soulful book. The family story unfolds slowly, but in a very short space the author conveys a remarkably clear picture of the indigenous Ma'ohi life and culture in French Polynesia pre-WWII and how this community was affected by French colonization. It is both political and moving. ( )

The first novel by a Mā'ohi (Tahitian) author, translated from French (L'Ile des rêves écrasés) to English. Flows smoothly from origin stories to family saga to resistance struggle to love story to political statement; and throughout it codeswitches between prose (Western style, narration of the mind) and poetry (Mā'ohi style, narration of the heart).

Skip the translator's note and start with the story proper. This is a good principle in general and an excellent one in this case, though reading it at the end would certainly be of interest. ( )

Tahiti, borowed from P7