Frangipani: A Novel [Paperback]

Célestine Vaite (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2006

In Tahiti, it's a well-known fact that women are wisest, mothers know best, and Materena Mahi knows best of all--or so everyone except for her own daughter thinks. Soon enough, mother and daughter are engaged in a tug-of-war that tests the bonds of their love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this whimsical, charming novel (her first to be published in the U.S.), Vaite introduces readers to proud "professional cleaner" Materena Mahi, one of the spunkiest, wisest, lovingest women on the island of Tahiti. With her combustible husband missing after a minor domestic squabble, Materena learns she's pregnant with a daughter. What will she do? Move on—until Pito moves back, of course. "Girls hurt their mother from the day they come into this world.... Girls are a curse," say some island women, but Matarena is delighted with her baby, Leilani, who soon grows into a free-spirited, curious, and sometimes troublesome girl. Materena instructs Leilani in all the folk knowledge of Tahiti—e.g., "To get rid of unwanted guests without hurting their feelings, broom around their feet"—but she can't answer all Leilani's impossible questions ("Who started the French Revolution? What's the medical term for the neck?"). Materena decides to send her to a good Catholic school, but if Leilani makes her a grandmother before she's 40, she's going to scratch out her eyes. Of course Leilani falls in love too young, which is just one of the family troubles Materena weathers with patience—and passion. This story of love, gossip and growing up (even at 40) has all the irresistible freshness of a warm breeze. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Featuring inimitable "professional house cleaner" Materena Mahi and her family, this is Vaite's first novel to be published in the U.S.; it will be followed by two other novels about the Mahi family. In lilting language rife with many a charming Tahitian saying, Vaite presents an archetypal story of mother--daughter conflict. Materena has always forged the middle path between ancient Tahitian rituals and modern-day know-how. In fact, when she gave the "Welcome to Womanhood" speech to her daughter, Leilani, she recited the old rules verbatim (" Don't wash your hair during your period, otherwise your blood will turn to ice"), but they were accompanied by gales of laughter. All of Materena's friends and some of her relatives avidly seek her opinions because of her commonsense wisdom and life--affirming nature. But when Leilani takes up with the motorcycle-riding Hotu, who has left many broken hearts in his wake, it is Materena who needs emotional support. Conveying a deep respect for women's strength and peppered with catchy aphorisms, this funny and moving mother-daughter story should have wide appeal. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316114669
• ISBN-13: 978-0316114660
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #369,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A jewel of a book!, February 8, 2006

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frangipani: A Novel (Paperback)

First published in Australia where the author lives with her Australian husband and four children, this enchanting novel is now available in the U.S.

Set in Tahiti, Frangipani is the story of Matarena Mahi and her family, especially her daughter Leilani. We meet Matarena early in her marriage, when she has one child, Tamatoa; and in the course of making up after an argument with her husband, Pito over his paycheck, she becomes pregnant with Leilani. Pito and Matarena reconcile, but Matarena decides to find a job, and becomes a "professional cleaner" to have control over her own money.

This book is reminiscent of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, in that the atmosphere of the place, the voices of the people, the stories of the aunties, all come through crystal clear.

Matarena has high hopes for her daughter Leilani who is so full of questions, and even after Matarena buys an encyclopedia, Leilani still has a thirst for knowledge. Sacrifices are made so she can attend an expensive catholic high school, but before she graduates, she meets a man, one who miraculously fulfills all the major points on Leilani's list of the perfect man.

The relationship between mother and daughter does not always run smoothly; often it bumps along like one of the Tahitian trucks on a mountain road. Matarena's 40th birthday becomes a turning point; she decides to make some major changes in her life. Her example makes Leilani choose a difficult path as well.

is a true joy to read, a jewel of a book, with characters you could just hug; you'll end up loving them so much.

Armchair Interviews says: If you want a delightful read, pick up Frangipani and enjoy!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful and Charming!, March 18, 2006

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Frangipani: A Novel (Paperback)

FRANGIPANI by Celestine Vaite

March 18, 2006

Amazon Rating: 4/5 stars

I can't say enough about FRANGIPANI, the debut novel by Celestine Vaite. It's funny, charming, delightful, and is told by narrator Materena Mahi, a Tahitian woman who loves to dispense advice to all her friends, neighbors, and strangers. The heart of the book is her relationship with her daughter Leilani, who proves to be almost too much for Materena. While she is very proud of her smart daughter, she also cannot understand this new breed of Tahitian woman.

It's the story of Materena's journey from being a Professional Cleaner to a Tahitian celebrity, but the heart and soul of the book is the relationship between mothers and daughters and about strong women everywhere. I cannot wait for the next two books in the series to be published in the United States. FRANGIPANI is highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Life in the South Pacific, May 13, 2006

By 

Sharon C. Milford (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Frangipani: A Novel (Paperback)

Celestine captures the essence of living life in the old South Pacific. A time when life moved more slowly and values were set according to the matriarcal way of life. Her portrayal of mother and daughter is timeless, but the humor that she injects is more than the words that are printed, they are the life. To truly enjoy this book, you must have grown up somewhere in the South Pacific. For me I still smell the plumeria(frangipani).