Fiji is known as ‘the Friendly Isles.’ However, it was once known as ‘the Cannibal Isles’ – and for good reason.
We capture all the history and the violence, the lust, the religious bigotry, the beauty and the clash of cultures that existed in 19th Century Fiji in our adventure-romance Fiji: A Novel.
In the 1800’s, Fiji was a melting pot of cannibals, warring native tribes, sailors, traders, prostitutes, escaped convicts and all manner of foreign undesirables. It’s in this hostile environment our story is set.
Fiji: A Novel is the tale of a young missionary torn between her love for God and for a man in 19th Century Fiji.
An innocent young Englishwoman and a worldly American adventurer are thrown together through circumstance. Susannah wants to convert the native Fijians, Nathan wants to fleece them. It’s a recipe for conflict.
Here’s a brief excerpt from an early chapter of Fiji: A Novel…
The young American was well aware of Fiji’s reputation for being a South Sea paradise and a place where a pretty penny could be made. It was now the trading center of the South Pacific. Variously referred to as the Feejee Islands, the Friendly Islands, and the Cannibal Isles, he guessed it was the latter description that was probably the most deserving. He’d been told cannibalism was not only practised by the fierce Fijians, it was rife—as many a white man and the occasional white woman had found to their cost. It hadn’t surprised him to learn that Fijians were constantly at war, and defeated enemies invariably ended up consigned to the cooking pot or, at best, to a lifetime of slavery.
Understanding the bloody history of Fiji had convinced Nathan his latest trading venture couldn’t help but succeed. He knew these natives, like those of North America, lusted after muskets. He’d read that when the musket was introduced, not so long ago, the nature of warfare in Fiji had changed almost overnight, as it had in nearby New Zealand and, indeed, in his homeland. Centuries-old grudges between tribes were being settled once and for all as those who had muskets wreaked vengeance on those who had none; skirmishes in which a few warriors died were being replaced by full-scale battles where hundreds were slaughtered.
For a longer read, click on the book cover image (above) to access sample chapters.
And here’s what Amazon reviewers have to say about Fiji: A Novel…
★★★★★ “A perfect combination of romance and action.” -The Kindle Book Review.
★★★★★ “A gripping and graphic story of historic Fiji.” -Great Historicals.
★★★★★ “I give it 5 stars because that’s the maximum allowed.” –Random Writings Book Reviews, Suva.
★★★★★ “An intense story that will have you turning the pages long into the night.” -Susan Heim, author and editor of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
Fiji: A Novel is available on Amazon in both kindle and trade paperback form via these links: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YCZM0/ & https://www.createspace.com/3671234
We are also developing a feature film adaptation of FIJI through Morcan Motion Pictures. The search is on for a name director to helm this exciting movie! –Lance
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