A review by serendipitysbooks
Island of Shattered Dreams by Chantal T. Spitz

emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 Island of Shattered Dreams is the first published novel by an indigenous Tahitian author. It’s a multi generational family story, features a love story that wasn’t meant to be, and is set against the backdrop of twentieth century Tahitian history, including nuclear testing by the French government. It clearly depicted the changes to the islands and the traditional ways of living during this time. I particularly enjoyed certain aspects of the storytelling, the way the book began with creation stories and featured a lot of poetry, which felt true to the Polynesian oral storytelling tradition. I also really enjoyed the epilogue which featured a scathing critique of colonialism, and not just the impacts of nuclear testing. The changes brought about by the construction of the nuclear testing base resulted in a socio-economic divide among the indigenous population, while the impact of colourism and the rise in the number of Tahitians with at least one white ancestor created another divide. The education system was called out for deliberately not equipping children for a more modern lifestyle. A quick but impactful book I’m glad to have read.
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