Love, life, families...Tahitian style!

Materena Mahi, champion professional cleaner and best listener in all of Tahiti, is usually the one solving the problems. But right now she's that close to throwing her daughter Leilani into the street. 'It doesn't matter what I do,' she confides to Mama Teta, to Cousin Rita, to Mama Loana and to the Virgin Mary Understanding Woman, 'it's always the wrong thing. I'm going taravana!' And if that wasn't enough there's a boy on the horizon. Or so the relatives are saying.

When everything around her is changing, and the traditional Tahitian rules no longer seem to be enough, Materena realises it's going to take more than the Welcome into Womanhood talk to deal with the next generation of Mahi women...

A feast ... bursting with vitality and charm * Sydney Morning Herald *
A fond evocation of Tahitian life. Vaite now lives far from her homeland ... but with Frangipani she conjures up more than a taste of her island upbringing * Vogue (Australia) *
A funny, heartfelt portrait of a mother-daughter relationship * Marie Claire *
A memorable story about big dreams on a small island * Kirkus Reviews *
Charming ... This story of love, gossip and growing up (even at 40) has all the irresistible freshness of a warm breeze. * Publishers Weekly *
A colourful view of Tahitian life and customs * Southland Times (New Zealand) *
This delightful novel speaks to the universal nature of the mother-daughter experience ... -- Ayelet Waldman * author of LOVE AND OTHER IMPOSSIBLE PURSUITS *
Crisp and clean and gets to the heart of things. You'll be hearing more of this lovely Tahitian writer * Alan Duff, author of ONCE WERE WARRIORS *
A decidedly fruity slice of island life * Melbourne Age *
A colourful story of two stubborn Tahitian women. * Telegraph *

Célestine Hitiura Vaite was born in Tahiti. The daughter of a Tahitian mother and a French father who went back to his country after military service, she grew up in her big extended family in Faa'a-Tahiti, where storytelling was part of the every day life and women overcame obstacles with gusto and humour.

Frangipani was also shortlisted for the 2005 NSW Premier's Literary Awards. Célestine now lives with her family on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia.