I picked this up at the suggestion of Powell's Daily Dose. I was disappointed. Had to give up. It started out very interesting, but became a bit repetitive. I did find some of the references a little dated. If I had more time and fewer books in my stack I might have given it more of a chance. ( )

While working on her thesis, Fay Calkins obtained a permit for the use of a desk in the Library of Congress. She was happy to be assigned a desk in the stacks. She figured there would be fewer distractions there. She hadn't reckoned on meeting and falling in love with the man at the neighboring desk – a Samoan named Vai. After a short courtship, they married. After Vai finished his thesis, the couple moved to American Samoa, where Vai had a government position waiting for him.

Fay seemed unprepared for what she encountered in Samoa. Since most Samoan homes didn't have walls – just a floor with a roof over it – there was very little privacy, and there was no concept of personal property. Everyone helped themselves to whatever they needed or wanted. However, society was anything but informal. There were strict customs governing almost every social situation. Fay had to learn most of these customs on the fly, usually after making a major faux pas.

Fay tried to establish first a cooperative enterprise, and then a banana plantation, and was often frustrated by the Samoan work ethic that was very different from her own. Every incentive she tried had a different effect than she intended. Her frustration eventually gave way to acceptance as she learned to appreciate the difference between Samoan values and her American values.

This book is similar to Betty MacDonald's The Egg and I. Although the writing lacks MacDonald's sparkle, I think MacDonald's readers would like this book. ( )