THE SWEET SMELL OF SELF-RELIANCE

The beach has always intrigued me. It's the feeling of home that makes travelling to or residing in coastal areas a heavenly experience. That way, Tahiti is now on my bucket list. Rain or shine, from now on, my spirit to visit the islands in French Polynesia will remain staunch. Stories that are raw, fresh, original, and organic stand the test of time, whereas those that are polished to suit the intellectual needs of readers fail to leave a meaningful footprint. frangipani belongs to the former category. Survival struggles for women across the world are more or less the same. No surprises there. Materena Mahi brought back memories from my childhood and replayed conversations I had with my mom at our kitchen table. Despite the endemic cultural conditioning, women are naturally free-thinkers. Lack of financial independence and self-love has pushed them into the web of unhappy family units where they are expected to take care of everyone around them at the expense of their dreams, desires, ambitions and well-being. Nevertheless, as generations passed, the wings of freedom have evolved to become big enough to take off for a safe flight and bold enough to nudge their younger ones towards the path of self-reliance.

Author Celestine has written a charming little tale seasoned with breezy comedy and a load of characters that are personally too relatable. I saw mama roti in my grandma; Materena Mahi is almost my mother; Leilani had traces of the adolescent me; Pito is the embodiment of most men out there; we all have a mori in our households. Frangipani has taken me on a free 1-month trip to Tahiti, and I didn't even pay or pack.

God bless all the mothers! God is all the women!

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