Larger	Frangipani : A Novel Author: Célestine Vaite
	Book Information Publisher: Back Bay Books Book Type: Paperback Rating: 21 ISBN-13: 9780316114660 - ISBN-10: 0316114669 Publication Date: 2/7/2006 Pages: 304 Book Reviews

An international literary sensation. First published in Australia, FRANGIPANI has already been licensed in Canada, Holland, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the US. The debut of an entrancing new storyteller, Vaite seasons her tale with charming bits of Tahitian tradition and folk wisdom. A heroine you'll wish was your best friend. Her name is Materena Mahi, and she's the best listener in Tahiti. In Tahiti it's a well-known fact that women are wisest and mothers know best. But it's Materena Mahi who really knows best of all. Everyone--everyone except Materena's daughter, that is--seems to think so. Materena starts her new job as a professional cleaner at the same time she becomes the mother of her beautiful baby girl. Leilani is a challenge almost from the start, posing questions ("Why doesn't it snow in Tahiti?") that seem to Materena not worth wondering about. Soon enough, mother and daughter are engaged in a tug-of-war that tests the bonds of their mutual love. Materena is determined her girl will grow to be a smart, considerate, take-no-nonsense young woman. But when Leilani meets Hotu, a handsome boy and a heartbreaker for sure, Materena must figure out what's best for her daughter--and for herself.