Where We Once BelongedA bestseller in New Zealand and winner of the prestigious Commonwealth Prize, Sia Figiel's debut marks the first time a novel by a Samoan woman has been published in the United States. Figiel uses the traditional Samoan storytelling form of su'ifefiloi to talk back to Western anthropological studies of Samoan women and culture. Told in a series of linked episodes, this powerful and highly original narrative follows 13-year-old Alofa Filiga as she navigates the mores and restrictions of her village and comes to terms with her own search for identity. |
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Common terms and phrases
agaga aiga Alofa Aoga Aolele Apia asked asleep baby beat boys breadfruit Brown Bruce Lee Charlie's Angels church coconut dance daughter dead dogs dream eels Eleele eyes face faifeau Fale o Molesi Falelua Primary School father Filiga fingers fish girls gonna hair head heard Iosua knew laughed and laughed lavalava Lealofi leaves Lili lived lizard Logo look Makeki Fou Malaefou mango married matai Miss Cunningham Moa's moon mother Motootua mouth Mu's Nafanua never night palagi panties papalagi penis pigs Pili Pisa pissing Pulotu pulu Samasoni Samoa High School Samuelu Savai'i Shirley shit Sia Figiel sick singing Siniva Sisifo sister sitting smile someone Standard Four Sunday talking taro Tausi teased tell thing thought told tree Tuli Vaiala Vaisola village voice walk wanted wearing Western Samoa Wind woman womb women yelled Zealand