Status
Available
Call number
Publication
University of Hawaii Press (1994), 424 pages
DDC/MDS
| 823 |
Description
An epic spanning three generations, Leaves of the Banyan Tree tells the story of a family and community in Western Samoa, exploring on a grand scale such universal themes as greed, corruption, colonialism, exploitation, and revenge. Winner of the 1980 New Zealand Wattie Book of the Year Award, it is considered a classic work of Pacific literature.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Castlelass
Multi-generational family saga set in Samoa from around 1900 to the 1970s. Patriarch Tauilopepe, an ambitious man, allows greed to overtake his life. It portrays a wide swath of Samoan history and provides insight into Samoan culture. Unfortunately, it is so slow in developing that I found it a
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chore to read. The characters are unpleasant, and the storyline reflects even more unpleasantness (e.g., rape, religious abuses, environmental devastation). The author was born in Samoa, and he provides a scathing indictment of colonialism its ongoing negative impact. It relates one horrible occurrence after the next, which is not the type of story that appeals to me. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
424 p.; 5.98 inches
ISBN
082481584X / 9780824815844