A review by joti
Kisses in the Nederends by Epeli Hau'ofa

adventurous funny informative medium-paced

3.0

A tricky one to rate. It was too absurd and crude at times for my (prudish, western, white?) mind, which made it hard to see the humor at times. On the other hand, it did offer a unique window in another culture, somehow drawing in elements about access to medication, national and international connections, and spirituality. It's definitely a very bold book, using 'pain in the arse' as a metaphor for many (taboo) things in society, and going so far as to turning 'kiss my arse' into an actual suggested solution for world peace. What I did like was that the wife and her mother had a strong personality, and that sexual desire was treated unapologetically. The bits with the letters to the government was also really good. I particularly enjoyed the interview with the author at the end of the book, as it gives a bit more context and background to the whole (otherwise very much bewildering - to me, at least) story.