Background
The daughter of a Tahitian mother and French father, Vaite grew up in the commune of Faaa (Faa"a) on the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia. In her youth, Vaite grew up immersed in traditional storytelling.
(Now that Materena is a big star with her radio talk show,...)
Now that Materena is a big star with her radio talk show, Pito can't help noticing some changes in his wife. She's spending more and more time at work and with her girlfriends instead of coming home to cook for him. And why does a Tahitian woman need to know how to drive, anyway? He tries to shrug it off, but when Materena gives him the silent treatment and doesn't come home after a night of dancing, Pito has had enough! How is he supposed to fix things with Materena when she doesn't even give him a chance? Luckily for Pito, his opportunity comes when a threemonth-old girl named Tiare--rumored to be their son Tomatoa's daughter--is left on the Mahis' doorstep. Anxious to pull his weight and set things right, Pito embarks on a hilarious and noble mission to prove himself to his granddaughter, his wife, and--most importantly--himself. TIARE IN BLOOM is the heartwarming story of a couple facing big changes on a small island--and a love that outlasts it all.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316114677/?tag=2022091-20
(In Tahiti, it's a well-known fact that women are wisest, ...)
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.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316114669/?tag=2022091-20
(Pito Tehana is a big zero—that's the word on the coconut ...)
Pito Tehana is a big zero—that's the word on the coconut radio. His lovely wife, Materena, is now a big radio star, and yet she hasn't turned into a bigheaded faaoru. But Pito won’t even take her to a restaurant to celebrate. He just smirks and says, ‘I congratulate my wife in my own way.’ The Mahi family, never Pito’s biggest fans, whisper that they wouldn’t be surprised to see Materena trade him in. Especially after he gets a bit drunk and says something careless; something that hurts her so deeply she can't breathe… In the keenly awaited third installment of Materena’s story, we see the Mahi and Tehana clans of Tahiti from the male perspective. And we find out that a man can do a lot with a second chance—if he's lucky enough to get one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143052659/?tag=2022091-20
The daughter of a Tahitian mother and French father, Vaite grew up in the commune of Faaa (Faa"a) on the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia. In her youth, Vaite grew up immersed in traditional storytelling.
Though a native French speaker, Vaite notably writes in English. Vaite has stated that writing in English gives her a wider audience as well as a greater creative freedom. Her first three novels—Breadfruit, Frangipani, and Tiare—follow Materena Mahi, a "professional cleaner" who lives in Faaa.
The novels describe life in contemporary Tahiti from an inside perspective, through anecdotes and often with great humor.
Vaite thus brings attention on a region of the world that Western literature has relegated to travel guides or often described in exotic terms. Her first two novels have been translated into French.
L"arbre à pain is also reputed to be the most widely read book in French Polynesia. Frangipani, which has been published in 14 countries to date, was shortlisted for the 2005 NSW Premier"s Literary Awards and longlisted for the 2006 Orange Prize.
(In Tahiti, it's a well-known fact that women are wisest, ...)
(Now that Materena is a big star with her radio talk show,...)
(Pito Tehana is a big zero—that's the word on the coconut ...)