This novel explores the beauty and savagery of life in prehistoric Tahiti. A shipwrecked woman, an outsider, finds both friends and bitter enemies as she tries to make her way in an unfamiliar society.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A violent storm that scatters the canoes of a wedding party gets the pseudonymous Coleman's tale off to a dramatic start while it shows that the ancient South Pacific can be a dangerous paradise. Tepua, the bride and the daughter of an island chief, washes ashore on Tahiti; she is taken in by a fisherman and his sister. Tepua realizes her aristocratic lineage counts for little now and humbles herself to learn the tasks her new life demands. Soon her dancing skill earns her a niche in the small community. She first teaches an underchief's daughter to dance and then becomes a member of the Arioi, an elite group of female dancer-warriors; her dancing also draws the admiration of Matopahu, the high chief's brother. Matopahu has his own worries: his prophetic ability reveals to him imminent famine, but his brother's priest-advisor dismisses the warnings. Tepua and Matopahu remain slightly distant from the reader, possibly because their thoughts and speech are rendered in somewhat stilted prose that may be intended to remind us of the obvious--that these characters don't speak English. However, the challenges they face and the exotic society in which they move give the work a dynamism that keeps it afloat.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Ms. Coleman knows how to write an interesting and exciting historical novel, and she has even included a glossary!" -- The Time Machine, Nov/Dec 1992
"The sensual allure of Tahiti, the lush foliage, ancient native customs and ceremonies come to life through Clare Coleman's marvelous writing talent. Here is a culture we have rarely viewed and, under Ms. Coleman's loving hand, Tepua and her friends come to life." -- Rave Reviews, December 1992
"This rousing tale of the South Pacific before the Europeans made contact will keep you up past your bedtime. A wonderful exotic seting and vivid characters." -- Manderley catalog, Winter 1993
"The sensual allure of Tahiti, the lush foliage, ancient native customs and ceremonies come to life through Clare Coleman's marvelous writing talent. Here is a culture we have rarely viewed and, under Ms. Coleman's loving hand, Tepua and her friends come to life." -- Rave Reviews, December 1992
"This rousing tale of the South Pacific before the Europeans made contact will keep you up past your bedtime. A wonderful exotic seting and vivid characters." -- Manderley catalog, Winter 1993
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A welcomed change from the frozen plains of Europe,
By Heather H. "Heather H." (New Jersey, United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Daughter of the Reef (Paperback)
A refreshing, sunwarmed, beautifull change from the frozen steeps and plains of Ice Age Europe. A delightful story of a woman who must face and overcome immense odds to survive. The plot line moves in different ways from other "Woman against the odds" novels so it is a fresh and not predictable. A very good read and a much better choice over Jean Auel's "Shelters of Stone".
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