Tiare in Bloom
Vaite's delightful third novel (after Breadfruit and Frangipani ) once again heralds the foibles of Materena Tehana and her ever-present, ever-squabbling family, but this time, Materena's husband, Pito, gets a big share of the spotlight. Pito still finds himself the object of his in-laws' ire, and Materena's call-in radio show seems to have the ear of every woman in Tahiti. After an intense evening on the airwaves discussing the phenomenon of Tahitians not knowing their French soldier fathers, Materena tells Pito that she wants to finally go about locating her own unknown French dad, but Pito's drunken response leads to a communication breakdown that leaves Materena determined to punish Pito, and Pito contemplating an affair. The rift is healed when they learn they're grandparents, and Pito, after years of ducking in and out of his kids' lives, finds that he has the right touch with baby Tiare. Materena, meanwhile, isn't having much luck locating her father, but a little late help from Pito goes a long way toward securing a rosy denouement. Fans of the earlier Materena novels will find Vaite hasn't lost her storytelling touch. (June)
